[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#ffffff” admin_label=”Header Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#000000″ bottom_divider_style=”ramp” bottom_divider_flip=”horizontal” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_header subhead=”Crown of Thorns Starfish: A Growing Threat” button_two_url=”https:\/\/theseapeople.org\/donate\/” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ title_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” title_font_size=”20px” title_letter_spacing=”3px” title_line_height=”1.5em” content_font=”Lora||||||||” content_font_size=”22px” content_line_height=”2em” subhead_font=”Lora|700|||||||” subhead_font_size=”60px” subhead_line_height=”1.5em” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_image=”https:\/\/theseapeople.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Crown-of-Thorns-Starfish-A-Growing-Threat.jpg” background_position=”bottom_center” background_enable_video_mp4=”off” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_text_size=”16px” button_one_text_color=”#ffffff” button_one_bg_color=”#40b8d3″ button_one_border_width=”15px” button_one_border_color=”rgba(210,159,104,0)” button_one_border_radius=”100px” button_one_letter_spacing=”3px” button_one_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” button_one_use_icon=”off” custom_button_two=”on” button_two_text_size=”16px” button_two_bg_color=”#d29f68″ button_two_border_width=”15px” button_two_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_two_border_radius=”100px” button_two_letter_spacing=”3px” button_two_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” button_two_use_icon=”off” height=”402px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”115px||115px||true|false” animation_style=”zoom” animation_duration=”2000ms” animation_intensity_zoom=”4%” subhead_font_size_tablet=”” subhead_font_size_phone=”35px” subhead_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” button_one_border_radius_hover=”100px” button_one_bg_color_hover=”#cc8d66″ button_two_bg_color_hover=”#d29f68″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_border_radius__hover=”100px” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off|desktop” button_one_bg_color__hover=”#cc8d66″ button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_two_bg_color__hover=”#d29f68″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Opening Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”#ffffff” background_enable_image=”off” custom_padding=”80px|0px|80px|0px|true|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”2em” link_font=”||||||||” ul_font=”||||||||” ol_font=”||||||||” quote_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”20px” header_3_letter_spacing=”3px” header_3_line_height=”1.5em” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_4_font_size=”25px” text_line_height_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) poses a significant threat to coral reefs due to its voracious appetite for coral polyps. While these starfish are native to reef ecosystems, their population spikes can lead to widespread coral destruction. Outbreaks of COTS are often linked to human-induced stressors, such as overfishing of their natural predators and nutrient-rich runoff from agriculture that promotes larvae survival. In high numbers, COTS can rapidly strip reefs of their coral cover, leaving behind barren underwater landscapes that take years to recover.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ next_background_color=”#ffffff” admin_label=”Our Work” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”#ffffff 0%|rgba(255,255,255,0) 30%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#ffffff” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_image=”https:\/\/theseapeople.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/TSP-Website-2024-Images-Portrait.png” background_position=”center_left” min_height=”1718.7px” custom_margin=”-50px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0|0px|150px|0px|false|false” bottom_divider_style=”ramp” hover_enabled=”0″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”TSP Website 2024 Images Portrait” sticky_enabled=”0″ da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”2em” link_font=”||||||||” ul_font=”||||||||” ol_font=”||||||||” quote_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”20px” header_3_letter_spacing=”3px” header_3_line_height=”1.5em” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_4_font_size=”25px” text_line_height_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n COTS outbreaks are complex and typically result from a combination of factors:<\/span><\/p>\n Pollution and nutrient runoff<\/b>: Agricultural fertilisers and untreated sewage that find their way into the ocean can promote algal blooms, which provide food for COTS larvae, allowing more to survive and grow.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Overfishing<\/b>: Removing the natural predators of COTS, such as giant triton snails, triggerfish, and large wrasses, enables these starfish populations to grow unchecked. This ecological imbalance leaves the reefs vulnerable to COTS proliferation.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Climate change<\/b>: Warmer ocean temperatures and changing environmental conditions can also play a role in creating favourable conditions for COTS to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”2em” link_font=”||||||||” ul_font=”||||||||” ol_font=”||||||||” quote_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”20px” header_3_letter_spacing=”3px” header_3_line_height=”1.5em” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_4_font_size=”25px” text_line_height_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A single COTS can consume vast quantities of coral in a short time. When an outbreak occurs, thousands of starfish descend on a reef, devouring coral polyps at a rate that prevents natural regeneration. The result is a rapid decline in coral cover, which destabilises the reef structure and disrupts the entire marine ecosystem, affecting fish populations and other species that depend on the reef for survival.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/theseapeople.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Crown-of-Thorns-Starfish-A-Growing-Threat-A.jpg” alt=”Threats To Coral Reefs Climate Pollution Raja Ampat” title_text=”Crown of Thorns Starfish A Growing Threat A” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”2em” link_font=”||||||||” ul_font=”||||||||” ol_font=”||||||||” quote_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”Oswald|||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”20px” header_3_letter_spacing=”3px” header_3_line_height=”1.5em” header_4_font=”||||||||” header_4_font_size=”25px” text_line_height_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Managing COTS outbreaks requires a multi-faceted approach:<\/span><\/p>\n Manual removal<\/b>: In some regions, divers have manually culled COTS populations<\/strong><\/a>, though this method is labour-intensive and challenging on a large scale.<\/span><\/p>\n Biological control<\/b>: Research is underway to explore natural solutions, such as using the giant triton snail, a natural predator of COTS, to keep their numbers in check.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Causes COTS Outbreaks?<\/b><\/h4>\n
Impacts on Coral Reefs<\/b><\/h4>\n
What Can Be Done?<\/b><\/h4>\n