What are Crown-of-thorns starfish?

Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a prolific predator of corals on the Great Barrier Reef. Their appetite is insatiable – as the starfish can eat a dinner-plate sized amount of coral each day. While they are native to the Reef, their populations are in outbreak numbers in some areas, which is where the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program comes in. The COTS Control Program supports coral growth and recovery by controlling COTS numbers to sustainable levels. 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 spanning several hundred reefs from the tip of Cape York to Bundaberg − at a cost of about $175 a hectare.

Watch the YouTube video here: CORAL EATING STARFISH? | What are crown-of-thorns starfish?

Head to our website to learn more: Crown-of-thorns starfish control program | Reef Authority