Autonomous suction harvesting to control invasive plants

In response to the mounting ecological and economic impacts of aquatic invasive plants, management actions now include a wide array of mechanical, physical, biological, and chemical control strategies. Diver-assisted suction harvesting (DASH) is a common physical approach but is well acknowledged to be labor intensive, costly, and to exert a high physical toll on divers. These limitations have sparked technological innovation in the form of prototyping a new methodology called autonomous suction harvesting (ASH) that replaces the diver with a remotely operated vehicle. The present study evaluated the efficiency, effectiveness, and unintended ecological effects of DASH and ASH when used to control nonnative Eurasian milfoil.

Olden, J.D. 2024. Autonomous suction harvesting as a novel approach to aquatic invasive plant control. Freshwater Science 43: 466-479.