War On The Reef

[I was working on another article when I was assigned to team up with my fellow Divemaster friends at Layang-Layang Island Resort to collect & dispose Crown-of-Thorns sea stars. So, I decided to share this article first...]

WHILE there are all sorts of wars going on in the present world, there is another kind of active “war” going on below the surface of the ocean. It’s called war on the reef – Crown of Thorns (C.O.T.) sea star populating by the thousands and together they form an army of ugly-thorny-looking-beasts. Their mission: infest and destroy the defense mechanism of our living coral reef ecosystem.

Crown of Thorns in the act.

The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps. The crown of thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body that break off into any creature that picks it up.

There are more than 1600 species of sea star and crown of thorns is the only known species that eats coral. Its mouth is at the center of the body on the underside that allows the crown of thorns to feed while attached to coral.

The presence of thousands of Crown of Thorns sea star, worldwide, is very alarming. This phenomenon, if not dealt with properly, is capable of indescribable destructions to the reefs ecosystem; so powerful it can alter the whole ecosystem of the very planet we are living in. COT activities, at many tropical waters around the globe, is being monitored, recorded and published on a regular basis.

If there is one thing we divers know about, it’s the colours and attraction power of the sea. Its therapy; a place where your telephone can’t ring and your bank manager can’t get to you. It is a fact that every diver has his or her own favourite dive sites. But imagine what will happen when all of those sea anemones with that cute nemo living on them, the colourful butterfly fish, angelfish, stingrays, turtles, sharks and the giant sea fans, table corals hosting thousands of tiny but colourful damsels, brain corals that take years to grow, staghorn corals for fish to play hide and seek – all are destroyed and eventually disappear. What happen than?

This intense and ongoing “war on the reef” is in fact very scary. The underwater lives are screaming for help. There is a call for human beings intervention to halt such an aggressions. Crown of Thorns are merciless and therefore need to be dealt with.

A note of reminder: Crown of Thorns is NOT the only reason why our coral reefs are dying. What we are addressing here is mainly the destructions caused by them.

Layang-Layang atoll (see Layang-Layang Island Resort) in the Sprately Islands, a world-class diving heaven for scuba divers, is also under attack by the Crown of Thorns sea star. Just like other reefs in Asia’s Coral Triangle and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, some of Layang-Layang’s famous dive sites have seen an influx of this sea star since 2008. Sadly, the number is rapidly growing. The fate of the coral reefs on the atoll, due to this wrecking havoc, is relying so much on the divers from the resort.

By the time this article was written, the numbers of Crown-of-Thorns sea star kept adding up. It is a worrying figure and Layang-Layang Island Resort dive operator bows to take action in any ways possible to help the coral reefs of the atoll.

A team of divers (mainly Divemasters) and dive crews are sent out on a regular basis to collect and dispose off the crown of thorns sea star. It is tedious task but this is for a good cause and a contribution aims to maintain the balance on the reef. It is certainly for the future of the atoll’s coral reef system.

Layang-Layang is known for its healthy reef system and the abundance of marine life for many years now. The resort will actively take part in the global effort to monitor and hopefully reduce the number of Crown of Thorns – a “war” with these destructive beasts for as long as required. It’s a small contribution from the resort back to nature for nature.

So, if you are somewhere in the diving area or heading to tropical waters soon, check with the local dive centers/shops and see if they are taking pro-active contributions towards reef monitoring and conservations. Even in a simple way but those efforts must go on. The “war on the reef” must go on.

Below: COT collecting-disposing off at Layang-Layang atoll in July 2009.

This table coral is half dead. Eventually the whole table coral will die if the Crown of Thorn are not removed.

One of the team member (the author) sending up a bag full of big and fat Crown of Thorns.

The crown of thorns sea star collected and then disposed off properly by burying them on land.

We divers, as human beings, can make a difference by taking part and promoting awareness among friends and family. Take the step towards the protection and preservation of the delicate coral reefs system. Will you take up the challenge?

*****

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS  BY: Rozlan Wahab (Divemaster), CAMERA EQUIPMENT: Canon PowerShot G10 Digital Camera, UNDERWATER CAMERA HOUSING: Canon WP-DC28

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