[Coral-List] Using Vinegar to kill Crown-Of-Thorns starfish

[Lisa Boström Einarsson]

Dear coral list,

I would like to draw your attention to our recent article in Coral Reefs:  Controlling outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish using a single injection of common household vinegar.

Outbreaks of the destructive coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, present a considerable threat to coral reefs worldwide, and mitigating their impact has proven challenging. The most effective methods to control A. planci require injecting individual starfish with lethal chemicals. While some of these are highly effective, their administration often requires permits, training and access to specialised equipment. We aimed to identify a widely available and highly efficient alternative. We discovered that common household vinegar is lethal to A. planci individuals when injected at the base of one their arms. A single injection of 25 ml vinegar induced functional mortality in <24 h and 100 % mortality in <48 h. These results demonstrate that vinegar is an effective alternative to currently used chemicals. Vinegar is a viable alternative in the toolkit of methods that can control and eradicate local outbreaks of COTS on coral reefs. 

Authors: Lisa Boström-Einarsson and Jairo Rivera-Posada, ARC Centre of Excellence for coral reef studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

The preprint can be found here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282033543_Controlling_outbreaks_of_the_coral-eating_crown-of-thorns_starfish_using_a_single_injection_of_common_household_vinegar <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282033543_Controlling_outbreaks_of_the_coral-eating_crown-of-thorns_starfish_using_a_single_injection_of_common_household_vinegar>

The final version can be accessed here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00338-015-1351-6 <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-015-1351-6>

Cheers,

Lisa

_____________________________________________
Lisa Bostrom-Einarsson | PhD Candidate

ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
& College of Marine and Environmental Sciences
James Cook University
Townsville QLD 4811

office: DB28-041D
phone: +61 (0)7 4781 6837
mobile: +61(0) 402379935
email: lisa.bostromeinarsson at my.jcu.edu.au

ResearcherID: B-5436-2015       
_____________________________________________