COTS

[Osha Gray Davidson]

Greetings--I have a question for list-servers who care to step into this old 
debate: I've been surveying much of the back-and-forth debate in the 
literature on Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Acanthaster Planci), about whether 
its spread was due to anthropogenic causes and whether reefs can recover 
from A. planci devastation in a relatively short time (i.e., within a decade 
or so). Is there any emerging consensus on these questions or are they still 
in the "needs more research" category? 
        Thanks for any comments. 
Osha Gray Davidson 
Center for International and Comparative Studies 
University of Iowa, USA 
davidson at blue.weeg.uiowa.edu