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Project Noah Nature School
Acanthaster planci
Crown of Thorns starfish are natural predators of coral. One individual can eat 13 m2 of coral a year. Their populations have natural blooms and crashes , and are thought to be beneficial for maintaining coral diversity. But over recent years blooms have been huge and have decimated many a reef.
The crown-of-thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body.
Spotted on Dec 13, 2011
Submitted on Dec 15, 2011
3 Comments
Yeah, the term "COTS outbreak" has been bandied around for years now. Too bad for the critter. But right now, with the vast destruction it's been causing all around, I don't have much love for it. But, I do agree that more monitoring & studies should be done to fully understand their role in the marine ecosystem.
Yup, there was an 'outbreak' in Malapascua, though I don't like that word - it implies disease and something unnatural when we still don't completely understand why the population of COT blooms from time to time. It did cause a lot of damage though :(
Whoa... so many of the in one spot! :(