[Coral-List] crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak in American Samoa

[Douglas Fenner]

I forgot to say in my post that the Morello article is available
open-access from MEPS.

Cheers,  Doug

On Sun, Nov 16, 2014 at 3:58 PM, Douglas Fenner <
douglasfennertassi at gmail.com> wrote:

>     Crown-of-thorns starfish sightings in American Samoa have been
> increasing for over a year.  They are now to the point that they are eating
> significant amounts of coral.  Efforts are underway to try to kill
> significant numbers of them by injecting them.  Efforts have been
> increasing as their numbers have been increasing, but their numbers
> continue to increase.  I'm told that (independent) Samoa, which used to be
> called Western Samoa and is in the same archipelago, has a similar
> problem.  My guess is that the increases in those visible (and the feeding
> scars) comes from more and more of them who have been in holes in the reef
> all the time, coming out to feed on coral.  I'm told that their sizes have
> been increasing, but of course virtually all that are seen are already
> nearly a foot in diameter or more.  The increases we've seen in the last
> year are unlikely to be due to continued reproduction, it is due to those
> in holes coming out as they grow.  But the large numbers now present, may
> well produce a large number of eggs and the next generation could be a much
> larger secondary outbreak.
>
>      Efforts to control them are an uphill battle.  The last previous
> outbreak here peaked in 1978, when there were millions, and they ate around
> 90% of all the coral.  Over 400,000 were collected then before the money
> ran out, and had no effect on their numbers.  Efforts started much earlier
> this time, in hopes of controlling it before it became uncontrollable.
> There was a previous outbreak that we know little about, in 1938.  In
> 2005-2012, coral cover increased in American Samoa, a bit of a success
> story, which is now treatened.
>
>     All this makes sense to me from what is known of crown-of-thorns
> biology.
>
>
> Birkeland, C.  1982.  Terrestrial runoff as a cause of outbreaks of *Acanthaster
> planci* (Echinodermata: Asteroidea).  Mar. Biol. 69: 175-185.
>
>
> Birkeland, C.  1989.  The Faustian traits of the crown-of-thorns
> starfish.  American Scientist 77: 154-163.
>
>
> Brodie, J., Fabricius, K., De'ath, G., and Okaji, K.  2005.  Are increased
> nutrient inputs responsible for more outbreaks of crown-of-thorns
> starfish?  An appraisal of the evidence.  Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:
> 266-278.
>
>
> Morello et al. 2014.  Model to manage and reduce crown-of-thorns starfish
> outbreaks.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 512: 167-183.
>
> --
> Douglas Fenner
> Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA
>
> phone 1 684 622-7084
>
> "belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."
>
> belief in evolution is optional, use of antibiotics that bacteria have not
> evolved resistance to is recommended.
>
> website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner
>
> blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope
>
>


-- 
Douglas Fenner
Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA

phone 1 684 622-7084

"belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."

belief in evolution is optional, use of antibiotics that bacteria have not
evolved resistance to is recommended.

website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner

blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope