Scientists find that starfish may help the Great Barrier Reef
A study by the University of Sydney has shown that crown-of-thorns starfish, when their numbers are controlled, can support the diversity of corals in the Great Barrier Reef. In 72% of the studied cases, living coral tissue remained after they fed.
Researchers examined the feeding traces of starfish on corals at the One Tree Island Research Station in a protected part of the Great Barrier Reef. In these areas, healthy fish populations help keep predator numbers in check, so large outbreaks of their reproduction did not occur.
The starfish typically consumed part of a colony and moved on, leaving living fragments. According to the study, corals of the genus Acropora showed no recovery of damaged areas over 22 weeks of observation, whereas Montipora and some Porites exhibited tissue regeneration. Scientists suggest that this may free up space for slow-growing species and create conditions for increasing coral diversity.
Researchers emphasize that mass outbreaks of starfish remain a serious threat to corals. Therefore, after suppressing such an outbreak, they believe it is not always necessary to completely eradicate the predator population: control should be combined with the protection of their natural enemies.
