Boxfish Robotics supports non-invasive monitoring of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) technology designed for depth, precision, and environmental sensitivity.
MPAs often include habitats that are difficult to access using diver-based surveys or towed systems due to safety limits, restricted bottom time, and potential habitat disturbance. Boxfish ROV platforms provide controlled visual access to these environments while delivering consistent, high-quality data.
Documenting Rare Handfish in Australian Marine Parks
ROV-based monitoring has proven valuable in Australian offshore marine parks. In 2020, researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies identified imagery showing the Pink Handfish, a species not recorded for nearly 30 years. Further review revealed more than 200 individuals across the Tasman Fracture and Huon Marine Park, including sightings of the extremely rare Ziebel’s Handfish.
Targeted follow-up surveys were conducted in Huon Marine Park using a customised Boxfish ROV. During a full-day survey, researchers recorded three handfish individuals: a Pink Handfish, a Ziebel’s Handfish, and a Humpback Handfish, the latter not previously documented for more than 20 years.
Supporting Marine Park Management
Australia’s Marine Parks network covers approximately 3.8 million square kilometres and includes mesophotic habitats between 30 and 150 metres depth that are difficult to survey using conventional methods. In collaboration with Parks Australia and the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub, IMAS researchers have deployed Boxfish ROV systems across Huon, Freycinet, Zeehan, and Beagle Marine Parks.
Survey missions collect high-resolution imagery of reef habitats and associated biological communities, including sponges, corals, macroalgae, and fish assemblages. Imagery is annotated using tools such as Squidle+ and made available through national data portals, supporting zoning decisions, ecosystem condition assessments, and long-term monitoring programs.
Boxfish ROV for Scientific Surveys
The Boxfish ROV combines a compact design with precise hovering and deployment durations of up to 15 hours, enabling close inspection of complex and sensitive seafloor features. The system provides a stabilised 4K live video feed that can be streamed to vessel workstations, allowing scientists to observe surveys and discuss findings in real time. Uncompressed 4K video and 20-megapixel RAW still images support photogrammetry and habitat mapping at depths of up to 1,000 metres.
Flexible deployment options and support for additional sensor integration make the platform well suited to marine science and conservation-focused survey operations.
