Research into one of the most persistent coral predators on the Great Barrier Reef has revealed a troubling paradox in reef ecosystems: the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) appears to thrive in the ...

A crown-of-thorns starfish feasts on a plate coral on the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: Australian Institute of Marine Science A new study by researchers from the University of Sydney provides new ...

Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a study into the pest's genetics. Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of ...

A new study suggests that the removal of predatory fish such as sharks from coral reefs may be a key factor driving outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. Dr. Mark Meekan and Dr. Emily ...

A single crown-of-thorns starfish is impressive. This unusually large, sinister-looking sea star grows to 3 feet in diameter with as many as 19 spiny arms. It’s hard to miss on the reef, where it ...

Researchers have uncovered an under the sea phenomenon where coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish larvae have been feasting on blue-green algae bacteria known as 'sea sawdust'. Researchers have ...

For decades, crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have been rampaging out of control. These pizza-size sea stars are native to the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but their ...

This article is from Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef can’t catch ...

Scientists are one step closer to combatting coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a University of Queensland study into the pest’s genetics. In a world first study, University of ...