SYDNEY, July 25 (Xinhua) — New research shows that controlling crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) is boosting coral growth on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef despite increasing environmental pressures.
Targeted removal of coral-eating starfish significantly increased coral cover on most monitored reefs, according to a statement released Friday by Australia’s University of Queensland (UQ), which led the study.
“Our simulations showed that COTS control led to increased coral cover in about 85 percent of cases, with roughly one-third of reefs experiencing more than 10 percent growth,” said Tina Skinner, researcher at UQ’s School of the Environment, the study’s first author.
The benefits of starfish control persisted and sometimes increased over time, despite intensifying climate pressures like rising ocean temperatures, Skinner said.
She noted that benefits from COTS control extended beyond treated reefs to neighbors, due to less COTS larvae movement and more healthy coral larvae aiding regional recovery.
“The reefs that haven’t seen direct COTS control work or any nearby fared worse,” Skinner added.
The study used a detailed ecosystem model of all 3,806 reefs along the 2,300km Great Barrier Reef, incorporating real data on starfish outbreaks, control efforts, and environmental conditions projected to 2040.
Although COTS management covers less than 10 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, the study’s co-author, UQ Professor Peter Mumby said the study highlights key areas where interventions are most effective, guiding future efforts.
The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Management in London, highlighted that controlling COTS is only part of reef protection, stressing the need to reduce emissions to prevent climate-driven damage and preserve coral gains beyond 2040. ■