Upload & QAC
Data and metadata problems are identified while they can still be resolved.
RAW EVIDENCEFast image analysis · focused validation
Turn reef imagery into trusted evidence.
COTSpotter combines automated QAC, AI detection and efficient human review to turn large reef image surveys into accurate, reviewable evidence for crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) management.
ObserveAnalyse
ValidateDecide
Begin the dive
01 / NATIVE PREDATOR
The challenge
Native to the Reef.
Destructive at outbreak scale.
Crown-of-thorns starfish naturally feed on coral. The management problem begins when their abundance reaches outbreak levels and coral loss outpaces recovery.
Why do we need COTSpotter?
Cryptic
Starfish are often hidden within complex reef structure
Mobile
Outbreaks can spread across connected reef systems
Cyclical
Outbreaks recur, making earlier detection especially valuable
Scale
Surveillance and control effort must be directed where it has most impact
From balance to outbreak
Outbreaks are cyclical. Earlier detection provides more time to target surveillance and control before coral predation accelerates.
Three complementary views
Each method sees the Reef differently.
Manta tow provides broadscale surveillance. Cull operations provide direct observations during targeted control. Each method answers a different question, with different constraints in coverage, timing and effort.
Image surveys add persistent, high-detail, reviewable evidence. COTSpotter makes that evidence fast and accurate enough to use at operational scale.
The COTSpotter workflow
AI accelerates the search.
People verify the result.
COTSpotter reduces the time between image collection and reviewable evidence by automating routine image analysis and strategically allocating human effort for difficult cases, validation and feedback.
AI detection
AI identifies COTS observations across large image collections.
MACHINE ASSISTEDHuman validation
Reviewers verify results, resolve difficult cases and provide feedback.
REVIEWEDIntegrated data
Traceable evidence returns as maps, reports, data and APIs for planning and control.
DECISION READY
Human validation
Verify likely evidence, not every frame.
COTSpotter presents candidate detections in a focused review workflow. Validators efficiently confirm a COTS, reject a false detection, or flag uncertain cases for expert review.
Validation workflow
Evidence across scales
Early evidence suggests the signals align.
Early comparisons show promising correlation between image-derived detections and established manta tow and cull evidence. While encouraging, image surveys need to scale to support more robust analysis and stronger evidence.
Read with care: blank areas are often gaps in effort or timing—not evidence that methods disagree. Robust comparison requires calibration for differences in method, detectability, coverage, location and timing. That calibration is also necessary before using image-derived evidence for historical trends, time-series inference or operational thresholds within COTS integrated pest management.
The current constraint
Image collection must scale.
The June 2026 snapshot covers approximately 30 months of data from January 2024. Image surveys covered about one-tenth the manta tow records, reflecting lower deployment effort. COTSpotter's automated QAC, AI triage and focused validation will make the expected 10x expansion operationally feasible.
Measured survey distance
9.04× gap
Manta tow8,184 km
Image survey905 km
8,184 km ÷ 905 km = 9.04
| Method | COTS evidence | Survey / records | Effort | What it contributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cull | ~125,000 | ~28,000 | 1,444 days | Direct control evidence and a large operational record |
| Manta tow | ~3,000 | ~41,000 | 8,184 km | Long-running, broadscale visual surveillance |
| Image | 251 | 618 | 905 km | Persistent, reviewable, high-detail evidence |
Built through collaboration
Reef evidence often sits across organisational, technical and operational boundaries. Important context can be delayed or lost when field observations, imagery, analysis and management systems remain disconnected.
Shared evidence closes gaps between institutions.
COTSpotter provides a traceable evidence layer across organizational boundaries—connecting provenance, review decisions, maps and data products while preserving each partner's responsibilities and data governance.
GBRF
Funding, COTS Control Innovation leadership and coordination.
GBRMPA + QPWS
Management context, RJFMP field operations and workflow collaboration.
AIMS
ReefScan platforms, image generation, provenance and deployment of edge AI.
TensorFlow/Kaggle origins, large-scale data collection support, and cloud, Vertex AI and Gemini technology.
CSIRO
AI research, integration, validation, analytics and data products.
Information for Sea Country
Sea Country health and condition.
COTSpotter data can help Traditional Custodians see where and when COTS surveys have occurred and what was observed. Initial engagement is planned for the coming months, with the project fact sheet providing a practical starting point for those conversations.
Download the project fact sheetThe COTSpotter workflow is built