Recent "early warning" surveys suggest a
crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak is not an imminent threat to corals
on the Great Barrier Reef.
Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine
Science (AIMS) Great Barrier Reef Long-term Monitoring Team have been
undertaking surveys of reefs between Cairns and Cooktown which are
thought to be the source of the coral eating pest.
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The surveys were funded in part by the COTS Alert
programme, one of the programs under the Australian Government’s
new Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (MTSRF) funding
regime which has granted $1.3 million for AIMS to continue its
research in the Great Barrier Reef.
AIMS project leader, Dr Hugh Sweatman, said the
purpose of "COTS Alert" is to provide early warning of another
decade-long series of outbreaks and to provide the opportunity for
tactical responses and more focused control of these pest
populations at their source. |
Crown-of-thorns starfish feeding
Image: AIMS LTMP |
"Since the crown-of-thorns starfish first came to
public attention in the 1960s, new waves of outbreaks have appeared in
the region north of Cairns about every 15 years.
"The last wave of outbreaks was first detected in that
area around 15 years ago, so history suggests we are due for another
cycle of COTS outbreaks," Dr Sweatman said.
The COTS move in waves down the Great Barrier Reef,
originating in the region just north of Cairns. The last wave of
outbreaks has now reached reefs as far south as the Whitsundays. Dr
Sweatman says lack of evidence for another outbreak is promising as
the corals will have longer to recover.
"Our recently completed surveys targeting northern,
mid-shelf reefs detected only 3 COTS on 43 reefs."
The extensive surveys did not find any evidence of
aggregations of adult starfish that might initiate another wave of
outbreaks.
Dr Russell Reichelt from the Reef and Rainforest
Research Centre said "this information from AIMS is good news for
reefs already being impacted by climate change and declining water
quality."
The COTS Alert programme will continue to monitor for
potential outbreaks and keep the tourism industry and management
agencies informed of findings.
"Climate change and water quality impacts on coral
reefs are also being investigated under the MTSRF. Findings from MTSRF
projects will be synthesised to provide an up to date indication of
the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef to such threats," Dr Reichelt
said.
