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RandomFactor writes:

A gorgeous fish popular in aquariums, the lionfish was released into the Atlantic off of Florida in the 1980s and has since spread down to South America. The voracious Indo-Pacific fish has no natural predators here and so continues to increase in numbers, menacing reefs and native fish populations. To counter this marine misfortune, iRobot, not satisfied hunting down dirt and pet hair, has developed a lionfish hunting sea robot!

If you can’t beat them, eat them. That is the common wisdom of many scientists, conservationists, and fishermen who dream of ridding the western Atlantic of invasive lionfish [...] However, catching lionfish has never been simple; they are not easily targeted by line or net fishing. Now, a surprising new invention may bring lionfish hunting to the masses and help clear the seas of this invader: a submersible robot.

While tasty, nutritious, and salable, part of what immunizes Lionfish against human efforts is simple depth; they can be found as deep as 1000 feet although they tend to aggregate between 200–400 feet. Divers cannot reach these depths easily, but robots can.

The Guardian is a 20-pound remotely operated vehicle equipped with cameras, lights, and two paddles that can deliver a 20-volt shock to a lionfish. Once stunned, the lionfish are vacuumed into a water-filled chamber. From there, the exotic fish may land on restaurant menus – or at your local Whole Foods.

The Guardian was developed by iRobot's non-profit "Robots in Service of the Environment", which sounds far better than Omni Consumer Products.

Original Submission