Best practices guide for crown-of-thorns clean-ups

Abstract

The coral reefs of Indonesia are currently under threat of degradation from both natural and human activities. Human destruction of coral reefs by bomb fishing, cyanide poisoning or anchor damage is now the target of a variety of public awareness campaigns. Natural causes of reef degradation include typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, coral bleaching from above-normal sea surface temperatures, and Crown-of-Thorns (COTs) starfish outbreaks. While human causes can be controlled and reversed, natural causes are more problematic. Outbreaks of COTs, however, sometimes offer an opportunity for successful human intervention.