Is the crown-of-thorns starfish a problem on the Great Barrier Reef?
Is there cause for concern? At the beginning of 1985 the Crown of Thorns Starfish Advisory Committee (COTSAC), which comprised an expert group of scientists and managers, stated that the crown-of-thorns starfish posed a “major management problem” to areas within the Great Barrier Reef. The findings of the large-scale surveys conducted since then (see 37) exemplify the seriousness of the present situation. There is cause for concern amongst all members of the community not only because outbreaks in recent times have affected a large part of the Great Barrier Reef but also for two other reasons. Firstly, the effects of the outbreaks have been confined largely to the central third of the Great Barrier Reef where the majority of tourist developments are located. Such effects may have severe ramifications for the local economy of Queensland and Australia in general. Secondly, there is a general lack of knowledge of many important aspects of the biology and ecology of the crown-of-thorns sta
