FOUNDER & CHIEF ARCHITECT
Michael Skalyo
Engineering autonomy for ocean restoration.
We Hunt What Harms. Reef to Relief.
Use the LFE inquiry formFOUNDER · PRELAUNCH
Building the operating system for scalable lionfish control.
Michael Skalyo is building The Lionfish Experiment around a testable thesis: invasive lionfish control can become more continuous, selective, measurable, and useful to reef communities when field science and autonomous systems are designed as one operation.
THE HONEST STATUS
LFE is a founder-led, prelaunch venture. The autonomous capture system, operating vessel, shoreside property, commercial harvest program, and performance outcomes are proposed or representative—not operational claims.
THE FOUNDER’S MANDATE
Turn a compelling idea into a field-validated system.
The Lionfish Experiment frames lionfish as a multi-domain systems problem spanning ecology, marine operations, autonomy, perception, control, cold-chain handling, and verifiable impact.
Michael’s present work is to assemble the technical requirements, operating concept, Phase Zero data campaign, regulatory path, partnership model, and interdisciplinary team needed to test that thesis responsibly.
“The job now is not to declare success. It is to design the experiment, expose the assumptions, and earn the evidence.”
OPERATING PRINCIPLES
How the experiment earns trust.
Field truth before scale
Begin with diver and ROV data, real operating constraints, and testable requirements before increasing autonomy.
Selective, reef-safe design
Design mechanical removal, navigation, and mission safeguards around non-target avoidance and habitat protection.
Proof before claims
Separate targets, models, and representative assets from demonstrated performance and acquired capabilities.
Radical transparency
Build toward traceable mission, detection, capture, environmental, and cold-chain records that partners can inspect.
WHAT IS BEING BUILT NOW
The work between thesis and launch.
PHASE ZERO
Field evidence
Diver and ROV observations, habitat context, sightings, removals, and operating constraints to ground the system.
ENGINEERING
Reaper requirements
Hydrodynamics, autonomy, perception, navigation, containment, safety envelopes, and test plans for a proposed AUV platform.
DATA
Verifiable impact
A clean separation between third-party occurrence data, LFE observations, confirmed captures, mission logs, and ecological outcomes.
NETWORK
Partners and people
Marine science, robotics, naval engineering, operations, agencies, universities, funders, seafood buyers, and reef communities.
TARGET ROADMAP
A staged progression, not a shortcut.
Timing is directional and subject to validation, funding, permits, partner readiness, and engineering results.
0–12 MONTHS
Measure and prototype
Phase Zero data campaigns, Gen-1 prototypes, requirements validation, and technology-partner mapping.
12–30 MONTHS
Assist and coordinate
Supervised autonomy trials, mesh coordination, controlled field tests, and first partner-facing impact views.
30–60 MONTHS
Prove regional value
Only after evidence: coordinated operations, measured biomass reduction, operational repeatability, and verified outcomes.
SERIOUS BUILDERS WELCOME
Help turn the experiment into evidence.
For technical collaboration, field partnerships, research, capital, or mission-aligned introductions, contact the founder directly.