A new Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak is happening off the coast of Cairns and our Chief Scientist Roger Beeden explains why. The Reef Authority runs the Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) Control Program, where vessels of trained divers are deployed to key reefs across the Great Barrier Reef to help tackle outbreaks. COTS control is the most targetable and effective way humans can protect the Reef. Since 2012, the COTS control program has protected over 830,000 hectares of coral reef habitat spa

The crown-of-thorns sea star is a multi-armed, venomous starfish that feeds on live coral by spreading its stomach over the surface. A single one can eat 65–110 sq ft of coral a year. Because females can release up to 60 million eggs per season, their populations can boom, causing serious damage to reefs. | Cendrawasih Sea Productions