Ping Yen (Jeff) Tsai, Jasmine Johnson
University of Richmond
Story by Ping Yen (Jeff) Tsai & Jasmine Johnson
In the Indo-Pacific region, an adult Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS, Acanthaster planci) can eat up to 100 square feet of coral per year! Inspired by the recent CoTS outbreaks in Dongsha Atoll, Taiwan, my teammate, Jasmine Johnson and I prototyped an innovative biodesign project to address this phenomenon by weaving science, arts, and design together.
Introducing REEFUSE: a non-lethal deterrent that drives CoTS away from reefs by using a speculative predator cue from their natural predators: Giant Triton Snails (GTS).
When ocean temperatures rise and trigger CoTS outbreaks, our biodegradable device automatically releases a predator cue (like a chemical “scent”) that sends starfish fleeing from vulnerable reef areas. Think of it as a temperature-activated alarm system that speaks the language of ocean ecology! Our two-minute video outlines our journey of understanding CoTS and our design for addressing their outbreaks not as a hazard to oceans, but as the chronic symptoms of an unbalanced marine ecosystem that requires adjustment through human-nature collaboration.
Our project won the Overall Prize at the 2025 Biodesign Sprint: Ocean Futures. It reimagines coral conservation not as a battle against nature, but as a partnership with the ecological intelligence already present in our oceans. We hope the vision of REEFUSE will enthrall you.
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