Underwater robots to 'repair' Scotland's coral reefs (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Katia Moskvitch

Technology reporter, BBC News

Underwater robots tasked with saving coral reefs are being developed at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

Dubbed "coralbots", they are being designed to work in groups, in a similar manner to bees and ants.

The team is still "training" the software that will control the bots to "recognise" corals and distinguish them from other sea objects.
***
But the depths of the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland are home to cold-water reefs.

When they get damaged, scuba divers re-cement broken fragments, helping them re-grow - but it is tricky for divers to reach depths over 200m.
***
more: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19396944

[NYC_SKP]

1. Didn't know that Scotland had coral...

at 200 meters!

[Doc_Technical]

2. I, for one,

wish to welcome out underwater coral repairing
robot overlords.

[Odin2005]

3. Coral reefs around SCOTLAND???

[Nihil]

4. Nature is wonderful

> Lophelia pertusa is a beautiful coral, with a pure white, highly branched skeleton.
> The branches end in a cup 5-10mm across, containing a small polyp with 60 or more
> translucent tentacles, used to trap food. The living tissue is usually white, but can
> be pink or orange. The coral grows slowly, only about 6mm per year; the age of
> older reefs has been estimated at more than 8500 years

> In British waters, the bushy colonies grow up to 5-10m across, and may be fixed
> to the seabed or free. After growing to a diameter of around 2 metres, the colony
> tends to break under its own weight, but can continue to grow, the older parts of
> broken pieces being colonised by sponges and other animals.

http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/species/invertebrates/marine-invertebrates/cold-water-coral/


That article states that this coral is found "typically in water temperatures of 4-8ºC".
Having been swimming off several parts of Scotland, I can vouch for that temperature
range being more suitable for corals than humans ...