Outbreak of coral eating starfish like plague of locusts: Australian researcher

An outbreak of coral eating Crown of Thorns starfish (COTs) on the Great Barrier Reef could become the worst on record with conservationists fearing numbers could soar from 4 million to 60 million by 2020.

Though important to coral reef ecosystems by managing fast growing corals, outbreaks of COTs are said to be behind the loss of around 60,000 hectares of live coral over the past 30 years,

A World Wildlife Fund commissioned report released on Friday however warned this habitat loss will increase from a lack of action against the current outbreak.

"It would be like a locust plague devastating vegetation," the report's co-author Glen Holmes said.

The report predicted if the current outbreak follows previous trends, coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef will be reduced to below 10 percent from soaring COTs numbers that could reach 60 million by 2020.

Holmes said if catchment pollution such as chemical fertilisers from agriculture run off into reef waters, providing excess nutrients, which trigger algae blooms and feed the starfish, were cut, the next outbreak could be prevented by starving baby COTs.

"This will give the reef a chance to rebuild its coral cover and grow again," Holmes said.

COTs are such a problem that Australia's researchers are developing novel methods to eradicate the plague, such as using household vinegar rather than expensive chemicals which have killed the pest within 48 hours in laboratory tests.

Large scale sea trials of the method by researchers at James Cook University are underway in what could have wide ranging implications for developing countries battling similar infestations without the means or finances to acquire the current eradication chemicals.

Researchers from the University of Queensland have developed an underwater robot to hunt and destroy the starfish thanks to the development of "one-shot" injection technology currently used with the expensive chemicals. Endit