Florida International University scientists have deployed a fleet of autonomous surface vessels and sensor‑equipped buoys to monitor and protect Biscayne Bay after a dramatic fish kill in the summer of 2020, which revealed the bay’s vulnerability to high water temperatures and nutrient pollution. Led by Todd Crowl of FIU’s Institute of Environment, the team—including marine robotics expert Gregory Murad Reis and computer science students—developed bespoke robotic prototypes, tested at a Department of Defense–funded facility on FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, and programmed them to patrol the bay, gathering critical data on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll levels. The vessels relay data to visualization platforms—dashboards and color‑coded maps—making real-time water quality information accessible to policymakers and the public. Even four years after the initial crisis, fish kills persist, and the robotic fleet continues its vigilant patrols, ready to investigate any signs of ecological distress. This initiative highlights FIU’s innovative marriage of marine biology, environmental chemistry, and computer science to safeguard a vital coastal ecosystem.
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