China has developed soft-hulled underwater vehicles that mimic the appearance and movements of manta rays to monitor coral reefs. 

A team from the School of Navigation of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China, has been working on this project since 2006, studying marine organisms to build prototypes. This is reported by
CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS.

These submersibles are used to monitor and study coral reefs, including species such as thorn starfish, in the South China Sea. The team has also developed small submersibles for educational purposes and larger models capable of diving to greater depths and collecting more data.

In response to concerns that these submersibles could be eaten by sharks or damaged by whales, they said they have measures in place to prevent such incidents.

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