Starfish Strike at Coral KingdomJanuary 16, 2008Outbreaks of the notorious crown of thorns starfish now threaten the "coral triangle" - the richest center of coral reef biodiversity on Earth. That's the finding of recent scientific surveys by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and the Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo, USA. The starfish - a predator that feeds on corals by spreading its stomach over them using digestive enzymes to liquefy tissue - was discovered in large numbers by the researchers on reefs in Halmahera, Indonesia, at the heart of the Coral Triangle, which lies between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Palau and the Solomon Islands.
The Coral Triangle is considered the genetic fountainhead for many corals found on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo and other reefs in the region. The surveys confirmed that while Halmahera's reefs are still 30-50 percent richer than nearby reefs, some areas were almost completely destroyed. "The heart of the Coral Triangle is broken," says Tasrif Katawijaya from the Wildlife Conservation Society's' Marine Program in Indonesia (WCS-IP). Scientists fear the outbreak is caused by poor water quality, and could be an early warning of widespread reef decline. "The main cause of damage to the corals was the Crown of Thorns Starfish," Dr. Andrew Baird of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University. "We witnessed a number of active outbreaks of this coral predator. There was little to suggest that the reefs have been much affected by climate change as yet: the threats appear far more localized." The team also saw first-hand evidence of recent blast-fishing which, according to locals, accompanied the break down of law and order following communal violence in Halmahera between 2000-2003. At the same time many reef lagoons have been mined of their corals for use in construction. "This is clearly a complex human environment, and effective management of the marine resources must seek to understand and address the causes of conflict among communities," says Dr Stuart Campbell, Program Leader for the WCS-IP. The researchers pointed out that there were still healthy populations of certain species - and still time to reverse the damage. "The good news is that the reef fish assemblages are still in very good shape" said Tasrif Katawijaya from WCS-IP. "We saw napoleon wrasse and bump head parrot fish at almost every site. So these reefs have the capacity to recover if we can address the current threats." The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) announced by six regional governments at the Bali Climate Change Conference recently offers hope for the reefs in the region, the researchers say. However, there are few details of how it will work and in particular, there is, as yet, no mention of the fundamental role of research in the conservation programme. "We are disappointed that a comprehensive research programme is yet to be outlined in the CTI. The success of large marine parks, like the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, is due to the primary role of science in understanding what's going on, so managers can make good decisions," said Baird. "It isn't enough just to document the diversity of the region. Large scale research is required to understand the Coral Triangle ecosystems and to decide how best to respond to threats such as poor water quality and overexploitation," Campbell added. James Cook University | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Coral Reef News Articles Protection zones in the wrong place to prevent coral reef collapse Conservation zones are in the wrong place to protect vulnerable coral reefs from the effects of global warming, an international team of scientists warned today. Protection zones in the wrong place to prevent coral reef collapse Conservation zones are in the wrong place to protect vulnerable coral reefs from the effects of global warming, an international team of scientists warned today. Shipwrecks on coral reefs harbor unwanted species Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. A recipe for saving the world's oceans from an extinction crisis Jeremy Jackson, senior scientist emeritus of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, asserts in the Aug. 12 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that the following steps, if taken immediately, could reverse the demise of the oceans: Establish marine reserves, enforce fishing regulations, implement aquaculture, remove subsidies on fertilizer use, muster human ingenuity to limit fossil fuel consumption, buy time by establishing local conservation measures. Fossil and molecular evidence reveals the history of major marine biodiversity hotspots The journal "Science" has published in the issue of the 1st of August the results of a detailed research work about the evolution of marine diversity all through the last 50 million years. Lionfish decimating tropical fish populations, threaten coral reefs The invasion of predatory lionfish in the Caribbean region poses yet another major threat there to coral reef ecosystems - a new study has found that within a short period after the entry of lionfish into an area, the survival of other reef fishes is slashed by about 80 percent. Scientists discover new reefs teeming with marine life in Brazil Scientists announced today the discovery of reef structures they believe doubles the size of the Southern Atlantic Ocean's largest and richest reef system, the Abrolhos Bank, off the southern coast of Brazil's Bahia state. The newly discovered area is also far more abundant in marine life than the previously known Abrolhos reef system, one of the world's most unique and important reefs. NOAA report states half of US coral reefs in 'poor' or 'fair' condition Nearly half of U.S. coral reef ecosystems are considered to be in "poor" or "fair" condition according to a new NOAA analysis of the health of coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction. Dry Tortugas show positive trends: Protected area slowly rebounding A team of 38 research divers from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, NOAA Fisheries Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service, REEF, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington recently completed a successful 20-day biennial census to measure how the protected status of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Tortugas Ecological Reserve and Dry Tortugas National Park's Research Natural Area are helping the regional ecosystem rebound from decades of overfishing and environmental changes. Saltwater Sleuths: NOAA Researchers Seek Clues in Unusual Places to Help Determine the Ages of Fish and Shellfish Populations Fishery biologist Sandy Sutherland looks through the lens of the microscope at tiny sections of fish earbones, known as otoliths, each showing annual bands of growth. More Coral Reef News Articles |
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