Upload & QAC
Field imagery, metadata and provenance checked at trip scale.
RAW EVIDENCEReef-scale AI · human judgement
Turn reef imagery into trusted evidence.
COTSpotter connects AI analysis, human validation and integrated reef data to help us see crown-of-thorns starfish sooner and act with greater confidence.
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.
Cryptic
Often hidden within complex reef structure
Mobile
Pressure moves across connected reef systems
Manageable
One major reef pressure we can act on directly
From balance to outbreak
Drag across the reef to explore how feeding pressure builds.
Three complementary views
Each method sees the Reef differently.
COTSpotter does not replace established field methods. It brings their distinct evidence into one traceable decision layer.
01
Manta tow
Broadscale human observation
02
ReefScan imagery
Repeatable, reviewable coverage
03
Cull operations
Targeted action and direct evidence
Different purpose. Different resolution. Different effort. One shared reef context.
The COTSpotter workflow
Machines review the volume.
People provide the judgement.
Every result remains connected to its source survey, AI run, review decisions and certification status.
AI detection
AI identifies candidate COTS detections across the imagery.
MACHINE ASSISTEDHuman validation
People confirm, reject or flag uncertain detections.
REVIEWEDIntegrated products
Certified evidence returns as maps, reports, data and APIs.
DECISION READY
Human validation
Review the evidence, not every image.
COTSpotter presents candidate detections in a focused review workflow. Validators can quickly confirm a COTS, reject a false detection, or flag an uncertain case for expert review.
Validation workflow
Evidence across scales
Where surveys overlap, the signals align.
Image-derived detections show promising spatial agreement with established manta tow and cull evidence. The comparison is encouraging—and still needs more matched data.
Read with care: blank areas are often gaps in effort or timing—not evidence that methods disagree. Robust calibration requires surveys matched in both space and time.
The current constraint
The platform can scale. The evidence footprint must catch up.
The June 2026 snapshot covers approximately 30 months of data from January 2024. Image surveys covered about one-tenth the measured distance of the established manta tow record. The smaller image-derived evidence base is an expected consequence of lower deployment effort—not a test of method quality.
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 |
What comes next
Scale image collection by roughly an order of magnitude—and deliberately match surveys in space and time—to move from promising detections toward calibrated density and confidence.
Built through collaboration
Every partner closes a different gap.
Field operations, management, monitoring platforms, science, funding, AI and cloud infrastructure must work as one delivery system.
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
Better reef evidence can support understanding of 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 workflow is built
Now scale the evidence.
Help expand matched image collection, calibration and operational adoption for the people protecting the Reef.