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Scarebot Description [Image: View of Scarebot] [Image: View of Scarebot] [Image: View of Scarebot] Aquatic farmers from all over share a similar problem: the encroachment of predatory birds on their crops. In Louisiana, birds such as cormorants and pelicans are drawn to aquatic environments, which provide a reliable feeding source of fish and crawfish. For this reason, the Louisiana aquaculture industry has suffered crop loss resulting in thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Drs. Steven Hall and Randy Price have developed a patent-pending, unique approach to the problem. "Scarebot," an autonomous robot designed to frighten birds away from crop ponds, is a small, solar-powered boat that can run unattended for long periods of time at speeds of 5-7 miles per hour. Designs are currently underway to improve the environmentally friendly prototype by including a motion-detection system, which would trigger a water sprayer to humanely scare the birds. Besides the possibility of helping other aquaculture industries in other countries, "Scarebot" has the potential for many other environmental management applications. The robot could be used for simple tasks such as measuring water quality, biological activity or relevant environmental variables.