2021 International COTS Control Forum - Program & Abstracts 29-30 March 2021 Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns - Reef and Rainforest ...
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2021 International
COTS Control Forum
Program & Abstracts
29-30 March 2021
Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns
#cots2021
Welcome
Like many reefs around the world, the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from the combined effects of many
threats and disturbances, including mass coral bleaching, pollution and storm damage. Outbreaks of crown-
of-thorns starfish (COTS) on the Great Barrier present an additional threat with a capacity to greatly reduce
coral cover on reefs, both established and recovering. Their impacts are significant, but also amenable to
local or regional-scale intervention, restoration and management.
The International Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Control Forum is a collaborative effort between the Reef Trust
Partnership within the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre
(RRRC). The forum has brought those currently involved in COTS control, from researchers, rangers, vessel
operators, industry, and experts, both domestic and abroad, together to review and discuss the current state
of knowledge for COTS Integrated Pest Management (IPM) control and to share and discuss opportunities
for future innovation in this area.
Future success for an IPM framework will rely on the manual control of outbreaks at specific sites to
incorporate any ongoing improvements that may extend beyond current methods. This is a collaborative
opportunity to identify and discuss these potential improvements to current methods and the pathways to
incorporate them into practice effectively.
Participants are encouraged to sign into Slido on their mobile device (accessed at sli.do) for the event, as
questions, polls and comments will be collected via this platform and discussed throughout.
A special welcome is extended to our International delegates (contributing remotely) and all Traditional
Owner and Indigenous Rangers. Your participation and engagement will lead to positive future stewardship
and ongoing use of the Reef for communities that depend on its health.
On behalf of all our partners, thank you for your time and participation in working towards a better protected
Great Barrier Reef.
1Day 1 – Monday 29th March
07.30 Registration opens
08.45 Welcome to Country
Gudju Gudju, Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji and Gavin Singleton, Yirrganydji
Context – The Problem at Hand
Convener: Theresa Fyffe, Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF)
09.00 History of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and the future information required
Sheriden Morris, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC)
09.20 Putting the COTS threat in perspective. What does the future look like for the GBR, including
COTS?
Richard Quincey, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)
09.40 Introduction to the COTS Control Innovation Program (CCIP)
Mary Bonin, GBRF
COTS Control on the GBR Today
Convener: Rickard Abom, C2O Consulting
10.00 Integrated Pest Management and control of the crown-of-thorns starfish: what can a
manual control program achieve on the Great Barrier Reef?
David Westcott, CSIRO
10.15 Crown-of-thorns starfish management to achieve Reef 2050 goals for the Great Barrier Reef
Roger Beeden, GBRMPA
10.30 Strategic targeting of crown-of-thorns starfish control effort in the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park
David Williamson, GBRMPA
10.45 Panel Discussion
11.00 Morning Tea
11.15 In-field observations from Townsville-Mackay region COTS Control Operator
Alejandro Usobiaga, Pacific Marine
11.30 In-field observations and perspectives from Blue Planet Marine Group
Dan Godoy, Blue Planet Marine
11.45 In-field observations and perspectives from INLOC Group
Rickard Abom, C2O Consulting
12.00 Reviewing COTS control effects 2012-2019: adaptive management leads to
continuous improvement
Chad Hewitt, Murdoch University
12.15 Panel discussion
12.30 Lunch
Perspectives from Further Afield
Convener: Johanna Johnson, C2O Pacific
13.30 Distribution expansion and historical population outbreak patterns of crown-of-thorns
starfish for the last 100 years; additional insights into secondary outbreaks
Nina Yasuda, University of Miyazaki, Japan
2Day 1 – Monday 29th March continued
13.45 Okinawa’s comprehensive research program on crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks
Ken Okaji, Coralquest Inc., Japan
14.00 Controlling crown-of-thorns starfish in a small island developing nation: using
collaboration and innovation to overcome resource limitations
David Welch, C2O Pacific
14.15 COTS vs COTS: Overcoming threats in the sea by tackling crown-of-thorns starfish with
coordination of team
I Dewa Kadek Wira Sanjaya, Coral Triangle Center (CTC), Indonesia
14.30 Perceptions of risk, burden and trust in the release of a biological agent to control
European carp in Australian waterways: lessons for COTS integrated pest management
Lucy Carter, CSIRO
14.45 Panel discussion
15.10 Afternoon Tea
Traditional Owners and Tourism Operators
Convener: Sheriden Morris, RRRC
15.25 Traditional Owner management and involvement in reef work including COTS and
reef restoration
Gavin Singleton and selected Yirrganydji Rangers, Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation
15.40 Traditional Owner aspirations for COTS management in the future
Duane Fraser and Liz Wren, RRRC/GBRF
15.55 Long-term juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish control and research at a high value tourism
site with implications towards outbreak prediction and suppression
Eric Fisher, Reef Magic
16.10 Panel discussion
Opportunities for Innovation (CCIP) / Panel Discussion
Convener: Mary Bonin, GBRF
16.25 What does the future look like for COTS management on the Great Barrier Reef? What
research should we prioritise to realise that vision?
Facilitated panel session with selected presenters from the COTS Control Innovation Program.
The panel will share the preliminary findings of their work to identify priority areas for research
and seek feedback from the audience via Slido™
17.10 Wrap up
Social Function
18.00 - 21.00
Please join us at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Pool Deck, for social drinks,
canapés and music. Visual Media and COTS Artwork on display
3Day 2 – Tuesday 30th March
07.30 Registration opens
08.30 Revision of Day 1
Summing up and focusing on the definition of success, areas for improvements and introducing the
sessions focused on latest research and challenges
Sheriden Morris, RRRC
Ecology and Biology of COTS
Convener: Suzanne Long, RRRC
08.45 New insights into the behavioural ecology of crown-of-thorns starfish
Morgan Pratchett, James Cook University (JCU)
09.00 Filling missing pieces in the crown-of-thorns puzzle (COTS life-cycle traits)
Maria Byrne, University of Sydney (USYD)
09.15 Linking crown-of-thorns starfish abundance to environmental variables using statistical modelling
Dan Gladish, CSIRO
09.30 Morphological and molecular analyses reveal COTS ‘brain’ novelty
Scott Cummins, Southern Cross University (SCU)
09.45 Reproductive biology of COTS and implications for management of outbreaks
Ciemon Caballes, JCU
10.00 Ocean warming and changes in the behaviour and physiology of crown-of-thorns starfish
Bethan Lang, JCU
10.15 Panel discussion
10.30 Morning Tea
Monitoring and Surveillance
Convener: David Williamson, GBRMPA
10.45 Monitoring Designed for the COTS Control Program
David Westcott, CSIRO
11.00 AIMS Long-term coral reef monitoring: putting COTS into context
Mike Emslie, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
11.15 Genetic larval quantification to improve understanding of outbreaks
Sven Uthicke, AIMS
11.30 Environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection of adult COTS in water samples
Jason Doyle, AIMS
11.45 Quantifying patterns of COTS settlement
Peter Doll, JCU
12.00 Vertigo3: a modernised approach to manta towing
Brett Kettle, CSIRO
12.15 Use of AI in COTS monitoring and surveillance
Matt Dunbabin, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
12.30 Panel discussion
12.40 Lunch
4Day 2 – Tuesday 30th March continued
Population Control – Dealing With Causes and Established Outbreaks
Convener: Jane Waterhouse, C2O
13.40 Terrestrial runoff and crown-of-thorn starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef
Frederieke Kroon, AIMS
13.55 Biologically based technologies for crown-of-thorns starfish control
Lone Hoj, AIMS
14.10 Acoustic tracking of a large predatory marine gastropod, Charonia tritonis,
on the Great Barrier Reef
Cherie Motti, AIMS
14.25 Identifying and managing fish predators to mitigate crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks
Frederieke Kroon, AIMS
14.40 Strategies for genetic control of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS)
Owain Edwards and Maciej Maselko, CSIRO
14.55 Panel discussion
15.05 Afternoon Tea
Modelling and Decision Support Tools
Convener: Cedric Robillot, Great Barrier Reef Foundation
15.20 An ecologically-based operational strategy for crown-of-thorns starfish control on the
Great Barrier Reef: Integrated decision making from the site to the regional scale
Cameron Fletcher, CSIRO
15.35 Connectivity and spatial prioritisation of COTS control efforts
Karlo Hock, University of Queensland (UQ)
15.50 Insights for COTS management from reef-scale models of intermediate complexity (MICE)
Eva Plaganyi, CSIRO
16.05 Quantifying COTS manual control efficacy to promote coral cover
Jacob Rogers, UQ
16.20 Evaluating COTS control strategies for the Great Barrier Reef using a systems modelling
approach
Scott Condie, CSIRO
16.35 The COTS Data Lifecycle: connecting on-water collection to adaptive management of COTS
on the GBR
Sam Matthews, GBRMPA
16.50 Panel discussion
17.00 Wrap up & close
Sheriden Morris, RRRC
5Day 3 – Wednesday 31st March
Field Trip
An optional field trip is on offer to all delegates following the forum. Delegates are given the opportunity
to visit the Reef Magic Pontoon at Moore Reef. Here, guided talks by a Master Reef Guide will take place
alongside snorkelling, demonstration of control techniques by trained divers, and tours of a COTS vessel.
Aside from being a great opportunity to see some of the Great Barrier Reef while in Cairns, this experience
also will provide a close-up insight into the monitoring and control methods currently being used.
Field trip fee will cover all transfers, lunch, snorkelling equipment, as well as all guided tours (excluding
SCUBA). Guided SCUBA dives will also be organised on the day for those wishing to spend more time
underwater. These will incur an additional cost on top of the field trip fee.
Field trip details
Wednesday, March 31, 2020
Cairns Marina & Moore Reef
Itinerary
08:30 Check-in at Reef Fleet Terminal
09:00 Boat departs for Moore Reef
10:30 Arrival at Moore Reef
10:35 Pontoon activities, guided tour and demonstration of control vessel operations
15:30 Boat departs Pontoon
17:00 Arrival at Cairns
Cost
Delegates are offered a 40% Discount on this trip by using the code: “RRRC” when calling to make a
booking. The cost of the full day trip is $167.30 including discount.
Making a booking
Please call +61 (0)7 4031 1588 (between 08:00-17:00 AEST) to secure a spot on this very special trip.
7ABSTRACTS
Abstracts are presented in the running order of the forum program timetable
Introduction to the COTS Control Innovation Program (CCIP)
Mary C. Bonin1
1
COTS Control Innovation Program, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a major cause of coral decline on the Great
Barrier Reef and future COTS outbreaks are almost certain. Managing these damaging outbreaks is a critical
priority to improve the health of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Effective management of COTS
outbreaks is also a necessary complement to research and innovation that helps the Great Barrier Reef
resist, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. The overarching goal of the COTS Control
Innovation Program (CCIP) is to create a step change that will accelerate the development of innovative
control and surveillance methods, while continuing to improve the efficacy and efficiency of current methods.
The program is being delivered as a collaborative partnership between AIMS, CSIRO, James Cook University,
University of Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, with a total investment of $9.8m through
the Reef Trust Partnership. In Phase 1 of the program (2020-21), 43 multidisciplinary experts are assessing
the feasibility and benefit of a broad range of possible research investment opportunities across six research
theme areas. This initial design phase will deliver recommendations for an integrated 3-year research and
innovation program (2021-24). Outcomes of this research program will advance our capacity to proactively
detect and suppress primary outbreaks and manage COTS at scale on the Great Barrier Reef.
Integrated Pest Management and control of the crown-of-thorns starfish:
what can a manual control program can achieve on the Great Barrier Reef?
David Westcott1, Cameron Fletcher1, Scott Condie2, Dan Gladish3, Mary Bonin4, Sheriden Morris5
CSIRO Land and Water, Australia
1
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Australia
2
3
CSIRO Data61, Pullenvale, QLD, Australia
4
COTS Control Innovation Program, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
5
Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, QLD, Australia
Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a significant contributor to hard coral loss throughout the Indo-Pacific
Region. Since the 1960s, on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and across the Indo-Pacific Region, 10s of millions
of dollars have been spent on COTS control. Despite this significant investment the general consensus has
been that control has had only limited success. During the current outbreak on the GBR a new approach to
manual control has been implemented with the introduction of a coordinated control program and a strategic
approach to control based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. The IPM Program identifies
program objectives and the key tasks that must performed, it optimises how these are achieved, and then
applies a structured approach to decision making at each of the relevant scales: the site, the individual reef,
the region and the GBR as a whole. This structured approach to decision making integrates an understanding
of the processes underpinning COTS population dynamics, fleet and dive operations logistics and control
program objectives across these scales.
In this presentation we use data from the IPM Program’s operations to address the following four questions:
1) How effective is the program in achieving COTS control at the scale of the site, the individual reef and
the region?
2) How reliable are the decision criteria used to guide decision making?
3) What does this tell us about the potential of the current program for responding to the next outbreak?
Our results indicate that the program is far more effective than was initially anticipated and suggest that a
modestly funded program, operating under our IPM principles, could significantly modify the dynamics of the
next COTS outbreak on the GBR.
8Crown-of-thorns starfish management to achieve
Reef 2050 goals for the Great Barrier Reef
Darren Cameron1, Roger Beeden1, Jo Baker1, Mary Bonin2, Dylan Horne1, Anya Jaeckli1,
Sam Matthews1, Tristan Simpson1, Daniel Schultz1, David Williamson1
Reef Interventions, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
1
2
COTS Control Innovation Program, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
The Reef 2050 Plan identifies crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks as a significant threat to the
health of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. It calls on us to work collaboratively across government,
research and industry bodies to reduce the impact of COTS in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage
Area. These outbreaks compound the damage caused by tropical cyclones and coral bleaching events,
and mitigating their impact is one of the most scalable and feasible on-ground management interventions
currently available to enhance Reef resilience and recovery in the face of climate change. The COTS
Control Program is delivered as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s management strategy
to address the COTS threat. The Program’s manual in-water control component is delivered through a
strategic partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC). Since its inception, the
COTS Control Program has been carried out in collaboration with tourism industry and research partners
to ensure the best available science and local knowledge are incorporated into on-ground action. The
goal of the COTS Control Program is to protect coral by culling starfish down to ecologically sustainable
levels that promote coral growth and recovery. We are not attempting to stop the outbreaks or eradicate
the starfish; these are not feasible goals given the limitations of current control methods. The Program
strategically focuses its resources on individual reefs of high ecological and economic value across the
Marine Park using dedicated vessels and trained crews. With the expansion of the program in 2018, we
implemented an innovative new approach to pest management in collaboration with our research partners
in the National Environmental Science Program. Crews on board the fleet of vessels are now trained to use
targeted surveillance, intensive culling, and reef health surveys to achieve sustainable starfish numbers
that promote coral growth and recovery. To support this new approach, the Marine Park Authority has
developed data capture apps and visualisation tools to support adaptive and data-driven decision making.
The expanded COTS Control Program is protecting coral from COTS impacts on a network of >100 high
value reefs across the Marine Park. The COTS Control Program has undergone significant improvement
since its inception, and we strive to maintain this momentum, delivering world-leading, science-based,
adaptive management of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef looking forward to 2050.
Strategic targeting of crown-of-thorns starfish control effort in the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
David Williamson1, Joanne Baker1, Roger Beeden1, Darren Cameron1, Dylan Horne1,
Anya Jaeckli1, Sam Matthews1, Daniel Schultz1, Mary Bonin2
Reef Interventions, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
1
2
COTS Control Innovation Program, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) periodically occur on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and
typically result in broad-scale declines in hard coral cover and shifts in benthic community structure. On the
Great Barrier Reef, COTS are a major driver of systemic coral decline and efforts to mitigate their impact
have been amplified in recent years through an expanded COTS Control Program. The COTS Control
Program employs a data-driven strategic approach to decide where, when and how to undertake starfish
management across the expanse of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. These decisions are underpinned
by several innovative tools designed to provide decision-makers (i.e. Marine Park managers and control
vessel crews) with the information required to allocate program resources efficiently and effectively. The
Program is being adaptively managed in close partnership with science and industry partners, and it is
currently delivered through a fleet of five vessels with professional crews trained to undertake COTS
surveillance, culling and reef health surveys. This talk will provide an overview of our strategic approach to
vessel allocation across Marine Park management regions, reef prioritisation within regions, and rank for
action amongst prioritised reefs. We will provide insight into the successes and challenges we have faced
9along the way, highlighting key knowledge gaps and areas for scientific innovation from a management
perspective. The Marine Park Authority is committed to working collaboratively with our science, industry
and stakeholder partners to apply the best available knowledge and experience to understand and
effectively manage COTS populations and deliver real-world benefits for the health of the ecosystem and
for the people that utilise it.
In-field observations from Townsville-Mackay region COTS Control Operator
Jack Strickland1, Alejandro Usobiaga1, Enrique Mosquera1
1
Pacific Marine Group Pty Ltd, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Pacific Marine Group (PMG) is working for GBRMPA to control the COTS population on high value reefs in
the Marine Park Townsville to Mackay area, between Townsville and the Whitsundays (latitudes -18.9’ S and
-21.1’ S). As a COTS control operator, PMG’s aim is to reduce COTS densities to allow for coral growth to
outpace COTS feeding capacities as determined by CSIRO (Babcock et al. 2014), as well as undertaking reef
Surveillance, Reef Health Impact Surveys and supporting research activities.
In 18 months of ongoing operations PMG have visited three reefs. Two of which were categorized to be in
‘Severe Outbreak’ from the COTS/Tow observed on the first visit with since over 52,000 COTS removed.
According to the most recent Surveillance both reefs are categorized as ‘No Outbreak’ status.
To date we have spent over 300 operational days and more than 7,000 dive hours on the reefs and will share
PMG learnings and how the activities have evolved since the early trips to date, covering an insight into
the successes, challenges, limitations and constraints faced along the way from the operator’s perspective.
We aim to provide an insight view of a COTS control dive operation with a comprehensive overview on all
the field aspects including; decision making processes, dive planning and tactics, equipment, environmental
considerations, safety aspects, helpful tools and resources.
Finally, whilst notable impact has been made over the past 18months on the COTS densities on two reefs,
PMG acknowledges that COTS management is still an ongoing operation far from completion and our efforts
so far are to be replicated across the 28 Priority Reefs assigned to PMG’s working area. We are optimistic
regarding the future of our culling operations but will strive to demonstrate COTS management is a dynamic
operation requiring a close working relationship between all stakeholders from operators, scientific community
and policy makers.
In-field observations and perspectives from Blue Planet Marine Group
Dan Godoy1, Dave Paton1, Michael Civiello1, Tom Taylor-Latt1
1
Blue Planet Marine, Canberra, ACT, Australia
As part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) control
program, Blue Planet Marine (BPM) has been engaged to undertake COTS Control and research activities
within several regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Within the prescribed scope of work,
BPM have undertaken operations across a vast expanse of the GBRMP, extending from the Lockhart River in
the Far North region down to the Bunker Group at the southern extremity of the Marine Park. Since operations
commenced in November 2018, BPM have spent 355 days at sea undertaking surveillance, culling, reef health
surveys, and providing COTS research support. Overall, BPM have completed more than 7,800 surveillance
manta tows extending over 1,650 km across 102 ecologically and economically important priority target reefs.
In addition, BPM have established more than 600 permanent Reef Health and Impact Survey (RHIS) sites and
controlled over 13,000 COTS. With the support of the GBRMPA COT Management Team, these significant
achievements by our dedicated team has resulted in the collection and provision of highly valuable coral cover
and health indices, while substantially reducing the impact of COTS in support of the GBRMPA Reef Blueprint
for Resilience initiative. Ultimately, being at the interface between sound management principals developed
under the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Integrated Pest Management Program and the
utilisation of operational methodologies to achieve those established management targets, BPM are delighted
to share a unique insight through our experiences, challenges and successes.
10In-field observations and perspectives from INLOC Group
Rickard Abom1
1
C2O Consulting, QLD, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Trust Partnership (RTP) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) Control
Program aims to reduce coral damaged caused by COTS in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park. The
Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) is partnering with the Reef & Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC)
and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to deliver this program, in collaboration with
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research activities delivered through the National Environmental Science
Program (NESP) Tropical Water Quality (TWQ) Hub.
During the reporting period (1 July to 31 December 2020), the three INLOC COTS control vessels were
operating – MV Hero, MV Tura and MV Venus II – in coordinated surveillance, reef health impact surveys
(RHIS) and culling activities on target reefs across an area of the GBR between Lizard Island and Airlie Beach.
The vessel crew also provide research support to NESP and other research programs. In summary:
• The three INLOC vessels conducted 32 voyages of generally 10-days each but varying between 5 and 19
days due to weather and logistics.
• These voyages signify 331 days of COTS control activities in the GBR Marine Park with a total of 3,665
hours of dive time conducting surveillance, RHIS and culling activities over 67 different reefs (including 3
non-priority reefs).
• A total of 13,841 COTS were culled from 3,090 ha of the GBR Marine Park. These reefs represent 64 of the
123 priority reefs in the Lizard Island to Airlie Beach region allocated to 2020/2021 workplan.
• Our teams provided 122 hours of research support through the NESP TWQ Hub and other research
programs, contributing to closing the IPM loop between science and impact for the COTS Control Program.
Reviewing COTS control efforts 2012-2019:
adaptive management leads to continuous improvement
Chad L Hewitt1, Marnie L Campbell1
1
Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) holds an iconic place in the Australian psyche and represents unique and
outstanding values to Australia and the global community as acknowledged through its World Heritage listing
in 1981. Despite numerous protections, the GBR has been under increasing stress from numerous threats
resulting in decreases in hard coral cover. These include impacts from tropical cyclones, oceanic heatwaves,
increased nutrient inputs, fishing pressures and coral predation by the natural predator crown-of-thorns starfish
(COTS) particularly during cyclic ‘outbreaks’.
COTS outbreaks have some degree of predictability, particularly within the cycle of an outbreak, leading to
opportunities for intervention to minimise or even prevent coral loss. When a new outbreak was detected in
2010 (the fourth outbreak cycle since the 1960s), several parties including tourism operators, reef managers
and key members of the public lobbied for significant efforts to minimise COTS impact. In 2012 the Australian
Government provided significant funding for manual COTS control at key economic assets between 2012 and
June 2018, and additional funding for an expanded program between July 2018 to June 2020.
An independent review has examined the COTS Control Program between 2012/13 and 2018/19. Here we
report the high level findings of the review, specifically: insights to the changes in the Control Program through
time; the extent to which key stakeholder concerns with Control Program efforts have been incorporated or
addressed in improvements; whether the current surveillance and control data collections are commensurate
with Control Program objectives to optimise investment and control effort; and, critical review of the effectiveness
of manual control in reducing COTS density and size at control sites.
In general, the Control Program has shifted from reactionary (tactical) response almost entirely focused on
economic values to a more strategic response focused on core environmental values that also have economic
benefits. This shift has been driven by changes in strategy (e.g. methods of site/reef selection; Integrated Pest
11Management strategy in 2016), application of best available scientific evidence (e.g. definition of outbreak
threshold densities; determination of control targets; efficiency of control methods), and increasing incorporation
and timeliness of data driven decision-making. We find that adopting an IMP approach to inform knowledge
acquisition and decision-making in the current Expanded Control Program is likely to achieve wider benefits to
the GBR and create greater preparedness for response to future outbreaks.
Distribution expansion and historical population outbreak patterns of crown-of-thorns
starfish for the last 100 years; additional insights into secondary outbreaks
Nina Yasuda1
1
Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
The distribution and population outbreak records of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris,
in Japan from 1912to 2015 was reviewed and analyzed. The literature survey suggests that COTS distribution
has been extending northwards since 1945 from Amami Ohshima (its previous northernmost distribution) to
Miyake Island and Goto Island. Genetic homogeneity within Japanese COTS populations indicates that larval
dispersal has likely caused this poleward migration. Water temperatures have significantly increased in the
temperate area of Japan, implying that climate change is partly responsible for this poleward migration. More
frequent and intense population outbreaks in temperate areas were also observed, possibly in relation to
increased water temperatures and successive larval dispersal from the south. Overall, complex and persistent
patterns were observed fortwo major successive population outbreaks in Japan: from 1969 to 1991 and from
1995 to now. The evidence suggests that the western Okinawa populations are the most likely origin for
secondary outbreaks within Japan. The Amami population is also likely to be an important source for outbreaks
intemperate regions. However, no records of intensive population outbreaks were found until 2015 for least
in two regions: Ogasawara and the Ohsumi Islands. Ogasawara is located approximately 1,000 km south of
the Kuroshio Current, so infestation via larval dispersal from other populations is more limited than in other
Kuroshio regions. The Ohsumi Islands are, however, located in the middle of the Kuroshio Current, implying
that insufficient corals are available for the growth of COTS or that unknown environment factors suppress
recruitment and juvenile survival.
Okinawa’s comprehensive research program on crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks
Ken Okaji1, Kei Ogasawara1, Eiji Yamakawa2, Makoto Kitamura2, Naoki Kumagai3,
Nobuyuki Nakatomi4, Shuichi Yamamoto4, Ryota Nakajima5, Koichi Kinjo6,
Masako Nakamura7, Nina Yasuda8
1
Coralquest Inc., 1-34-10 Asahicho, Atsugi, Kanagawa 2430014, Japan
2
Incorporated Foundation Okinawa Prefecture Environment Science Center,
720 Kyozuka, Urasoe, Okinawa 901-2111, Japan
3
National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
4
Graduate School of Engineering, Soka University, 1-236 Tangimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 1920003, Japan
5
JAMSTEC, 2-15, Natsushimacho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 2370061, Japan
6
Environmental Preservation Division, Okinawa Prefectural Government,
1-2-2 Izumizaki, Naha, Okinawa 9008570, Japan
7
School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1 Orido,
Shimizu, Shizuoka city, Shizuoka, 424-8610, Japan
8
Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
Repeated outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have devastated Okinawa’s coral communities
during the past five decades. For identifying the important causal factors of outbreaks and developing a
new management policy, Okinawa Prefectural Government implemented its first ever comprehensive
research program on this species between 2012 and 2018. The program involved water quality observation,
larval nutrition, larval dispersal simulation, and juvenile ecology. The results of the program suggested
the following: 1) food availability for COTS larvae quickly increases to the level at which larval growth
12and survival is supported after heavy rainfall; 2) in addition to phytoplankton, COTS larvae are able to
utilize particulate organic matter such as detritus and coral mucus as supplemental food sources; 3) COTS
larval dispersion leading to successful recruitment is likely a local-scale event; 4) the prediction of COTS
outbreaks by monitoring the density of alga-eating juveniles is considered to be feasible. On the basis of
these results, the Okinawa Prefectural Government proposes water quality improvement in the coastal
catchment areas as a long-term target as well as continued physical removal of COTS in limited areas for
short-term management.
Controlling crown-of-thorns starfish in a small island developing nation:
using collaboration and innovation to overcome resource limitations
Johanna Johnson1,2, David Welch1,2, Peter Whitelaw3, Christina Shaw4,
Pascal Dumas5, Rocky Kaku6, Owen Drew7, Kehana Andrew8
1
C2O Pacific, Port Vila, Vanuatu
2
College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD
3
Sailaway Cruises
4
Big Blue Scuba; Vanuatu Environmental Science Society
5
IRD, Noumea, New Caledonia
6
Vanuatu Fisheries Department
7
Tranquility Island Resort
8
Vanuatu Department of Tourism
Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands with the majority of the population living in coastal areas based on
a subsistence lifestyle that relies on healthy coral reef ecosystems for sustainable fisheries, small-scale
livelihoods and reef tourism. Vanuatu has experienced crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks numerous
times, and previous COTS outbreaks documented in 2006, 2008 and 2014 caused significant reef habitat
declines (Dumas et al. 2014, Johnson et al. in press). There is currently an active outbreak of COTS in
Vanuatu that has been observed on fringing reefs around the main island of Efate and nearby islands of
Lelepa, Moso, Ifira and Hideaway, areas of high to very high coral cover (Johnson et al. 2016, 2018). There
are also reports of COTS on fringing reefs around islands to the north – Nguna, Pele, Espiritu Santo – as
well as islands in the south of the country – Tanna. Due to limited resources and high accessibility of fringing
reefs, COTS control is haphazard through a voluntary program, and only some data (e.g. number of COTS
culled) are documented using an online reporting system1. Marine tourism operators and community groups
are leading the initiative using injector kits to cull COTS, and remote villages without kits are removing
COTS manually and burning or burying them. Critically, a network of committed marine stakeholders are
reporting sightings of COTS in high densities and responding accordingly with collective culling efforts.
Communities have also used a ‘bounty’ system as incentive to remove COTS, with Pele Island addressing
a recent outbreak and protecting their high-value eco-tourism reefs. An intensive 6-months of control in
2020 removed over 5,600 COTS and identified hotspot areas around Pango Peninsula and in Mele Bay.
Observations that COTS outbreaks are becoming more frequent is of great concern to the tourism and
fishing sectors, and future successful COTS control will require a more strategic and coordinated approach
that is locally appropriate.
COTS vs COTS: Overcoming threats in the sea by tackling
crown-of-thorns starfish with coordination of team
I Dewa Kadek Wira Sanjaya1, Kitty Currier1, Hesti Handayani Widodo1, Made Sudarsana2
1
Coral Triangle Center (CTC), Jl. Bet Ngandang II No. 88-89 Sanur, Denpasar, Indonesia 80228
2
Authority of Marine and Fishery of Bali Province, Jl. Patimura no 77, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia 80234
Pressure on the coast and the sea in Bali is increasing and increasingly complex. Various efforts in dealing
with threats have also been carried out by various parties, whether organized or conducted sporadically. One
of the threats in the Bali sea that almost every year becomes a problem is the outbreak of crown-of-thorns
starfish (COTS). Desktop studies show that several regions in Bali, namely Pemuteran and Menjangan Island
in Bali Barat National Park, have recorded large numbers of COTS every year. During June and November,
13COTS are often found at these locations, although the actual number of COTS in these outbreaks is uncertain
because the information recorded is based on the number of COTS removed opportunistically. At Menjangan
Island, which has an area of around 17 hectares, more than 7.500 COTS were removed during one outbreak
in 2017 and more than 700.000 COTS removed on 1997 in Bali Barat National Park, and in Pemuteran, more
than 100 individuals were found at one dive site. It seems that COTS can often be found in these two locations
at any time. COTS outbreak prevention efforts at these locations have been carried out since monitoring for
outbreaks began in 1996.
COTS are removed manually by snorkelers or divers using a steel hook and then put into a net bag and
brought to the surface and buried near the beach. Alternatively, vinegar injection is used to kill the COTS. The
COTS outbreak phenomenon in Bali (Pemuteran and Menjangan Island) continues to occur every year, so it is
deemed necessary to coordinate all parties to address this threat, not only in the COTS outbreak locations but
also in other locations so that local communities will be prepared if the need ever arises.
Therefore, the formation of a coordinated team to address this threat is important and proposed as a solution to
monitor conditions in the field, coordinate response efforts, and prepare response teams at different locations
as necessary. Another important consideration is how to allocate available resources to jointly prevent, reduce
and overcome the threats that exist in each location and prevent the spread to other places.
Perceptions of risk, burden and trust in the release of a biological agent to control
European carp in Australian waterways: lessons for COTS integrated pest management
Lucy Carter1, Aditi Mankad1, Matt Curnock1
1
CSIRO Land and Water, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
The European or common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., is considered a major threat to the sustainability of
Australian freshwater systems. The Australian government’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
(FRDC) has been tasked with determining the economic, social and ecological feasibility of releasing Cyprinid
herpesvirus 3 under the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP).
Previous research on stakeholder perspectives has focussed on the opinions of experts or peak body
representatives. Under social science research commissioned by the NCCP, the CSIRO sought to gather
insights from individuals living in situ to a potential release or clean-up site. Our qualitative analysis reports
specifically on the issues faced by rural and regional communities who rely on local social networks and
institutions for their livelihoods and wellbeing. The risk perspectives of these communities to a virus release
reveal a sophisticated understanding of both ecological complexity and experience of current and past
institutional failings.
Our findings indicate that public trust in the governance of the control program, how the problem is defined
and communicated and the quality of engagement with local communities were key issues of significance.
We suggest that these considerations may also be of relevance to the roll-out of a COTS control program.
Our findings reflect a) the value of engaging closely with local communities and b) efforts to build trust and
engage meaningfully are two important drivers for garnering local support for the release of a biological agent.
Engagement methods which respect and value the uniqueness of individual communities will serve decision-
makers well.
Traditional Owner management and involvement in reef work including
COTS and reef restoration
Gavin Singleton1 & Selected Yirrganydji Rangers1
1
Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation, Cairns, QLD, Australia
Two Yirrganydji rangers were graduates from the AMPTO/Gempearl COTS program. And they have since
been involved in reef restoration work. Selected rangers will provide their views on their experience in COTS
control, including challenges, lessons learnt, and the opportunities and aspirations for GBR Traditional Owner
groups in this space.
14Traditional Owner aspirations for COTS management in the future
Duane Fraser1, Liz Wren2
1
Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, QLD, Australia
2
Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Traditional Owners are co- designing delivery of an innovative COTS Control Program on the Great Barrier
Reef that aims to elevate leadership and participation from GBR Traditional Owners. Such a program will
include pathways for specialised, culturally grounded and culturally appropriate employment, training and
leadership opportunities. This work also considers and respects the Reef as a cultural landscape and the
association with Traditional Owners’ cultural heritage values associated with COTS control work. Surrounding
this, there are additional aspirations to develop cultural guidelines for adoption by key partners in current
COTS research, surveillance and control. This is an achievable goal for sea country groups, and one which
can provide a number of co-benefits to existing business models.
Long-term juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish control and research at a high value tourism
site with implications towards outbreak prediction and suppression
Eric Fisher1
1
Experience Co., Cairns, QLD, Australia
Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a coral predator and large populations on individual coral reefs ultimately
reduce hard coral cover to low levels. At tourism sites in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, high levels of coral
cover are maximised through various efforts to improve customer appreciation of a world heritage area but also
participate in building a coral reef resilience network. Ongoing COTS control programs are an example of one
initiative tourism operators utilise to preserve and protect live coral cover. Cairns tourism Operator Reef Magic
Cruises has a site at the north west aspect of Moore Reef and extensive, reef health monitoring surveys around
this site revealed increasing COTS abundance in 2009. A multi-shot injection programme was conducted between
2010 and 2012 which removed 650 Adults and 2,060 juvenile COTS from this site. This programme identified
key habitat areas that experience repeatable high recruitment rates. In 2014 the programme was refined to focus
on locating and collecting juvenile COTS using belt transects. From 2014 too present, 11,049 juvenile COTS
between 5 and 150mm in size have been removed. This has also provided quantifiable information on juvenile
densities, ontogenetic shifts in coral diet and size structure of juvenile population over time. Sampling designs
that focus on juvenile COTS abundance combined with other early detection methods could be incorporated
into an early warning system to predict future outbreaks in the initiation region of the Great Barrier Reef. This
long term juvenile research programme provides information on juvenile COTS ecology that may be useful to
innovative programmes involved with suppression of future outbreaks.
New insights into the behavioural ecology of crown-of-thorns starfish
Morgan Pratchett1
1
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) are among the most extensively studied single species on coral
reefs, largely owing to their devastating impacts on live coral cover during population irruptions. There remain
however, considerable gaps in our understanding of their behavioural ecology. In this presentation, I will outline
the latest advances in our efforts to better understand and manage population irruptions of crown-of-thorns
starfish, focussing mainly on their movement and diel patterns of behaviour. We have measured movement
at a range of spatiotemporal scales using a variety of different techniques, showing that adult crown-of-
thorns starfish can be extremely site attached and move very little if they have good access to coral prey, and
especially Acropora spp. Interestingly, crown-of-thorns starfish may exhibit distinct homing behaviour as has
been previously reported in urchins, and return to the same resting location after feeding bouts. Our research
on the behaviour of crown-of-thorns starfish in the field has also revealed distinct changes in the behavioural
mode of starfish at different times throughout the day, which will have important implications of detecting and
culling starfish.
15Filling missing pieces in the crown-of-thorns puzzle (COTS life-cycle traits)
Maria Byrne1, Dione Deaker1, Tyler Carrier2, Jon Allen3, Symon Dworjanyn4,
Ben Mos4, Vanessa Guerra5, Nina Yasuda6, Mike Hart4
1
University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
2
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel
3
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
4
Southern Cross University, QLD, Australia
5
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
6
Univserity of Miyazaki1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
The crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) is one of the most influential invertebrates in tropical reef systems. The
specific traits across the life cycle stages of COTS that drive outbreaks and convey its superstar keystone
ecological role are important to understand and are best identified in context with the evolution and phenotypic
plasticity of the Asteroidea. As characteristic of tropical starfish larvae, the larvae of COTS show a propensity for
cloning and thus have the potential to be ‘eternal’ and also have a distinct microbiome including photobacteria that
may contribute to their nutrition. The dynamics of the early herbivorous juvenile stage of COTS, a likely mortality
bottle neck, is important to understand and we investigated the impact of a delay in diet transition from herbivory
to corallivory in cohorts reared on coralline algae for 10 months and 6.5 years. Our results show the inherent
resilience and growth plasticity of the juveniles and the marked age-size disconnect that is typical of the Asteroidea.
The implication of the juveniles ‘in waiting’ hypothesis is the possibility that the current killing programs used to
manage COTS may trigger a feedback mechanism promoting the herbivory-corallivory transition as juveniles are
released from adult competition. For the adults, non-gender specific expression of gamete binding proteins and
occurrence of hermaphrodites suggests the potential for reproductive assurance through self-fertilization. This
find has implications for management of COTS populations and initiation of outbreaks in consideration of their
massive fecundity. The pieces of the COTS puzzle contributed in this research in larval plasticity, the resilience
of the herbivorous juvenile stage to coral scarcity and the potential that COTS may be micro-hermaphrodites,
adds to the suite of remarkable traits of COTS and the unappreciated complexity of COTS boom-bust dynamics.
Linking crown-of-thorns starfish abundance to environmental variables
using statistical modelling
Dan Gladish1
1
CSIRO Data61, Pullenvale, QLD, Australia
While knowledge about the preferred habitat for crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) has increased in recent times,
there is still high uncertainty in understanding the environmental factors and conditions of COTS habitat and
abundance. Some efforts have focused on statistical models, accounting for random effects. In this work, we
present efforts in linking different environmental factors to COTS through generalized linear mixed modelling.
In particular, we analyse the effects of bleaching and coral cover in explaining the habitat of COTS. Our focus
is on data at the site and reef scales during a recent bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef. This analysis
is funded by NESP TWQ Hub.
Morphological and molecular analyses reveal COTS ‘brain’ novelty
Scott Cummins1
1
Southern Cross University, Australia
What are COTS actually thinking? To help answer this question, it is critical to look deep in into the neural
system of the animal. The starfish neural system has no central ‘brain’, yet comprises of a circumoral ring
linked to radial nerve cords that together coordinate movement, growth, regeneration, reproduction, defence,
olfaction and more. Over the past five years, we have investigated the COTS radial nerve cords to establish new
knowledge into their make-up at the anatomical and molecular levels. I will describe some of the major findings
(published and unpublished), inclusive of the identification of unique neural structures and neurohormones
that provide a framework for establishing COTS neuroscience approaches and manipulating COTS behaviour.
16Reproductive biology of COTS and implications for management of outbreaks
Ciemon Caballes1
1
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Population outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) often result in extensive coral mortality
with highly extended recovery times, thereby contributing significantly to sustained and ongoing declines in
coral cover across the Indo-Pacific. Long-term or permanent solutions depend on filling crucial gaps in our
knowledge of the biology of COTS, particularly its reproductive biology and early life history, to understand
the initiation and spread of outbreaks. Populations of COTS are typically predisposed to outbreaks due to
inherent life history characteristics such as high fecundity and high fertilization rates. However, COTS densities
vary enormously in space and time, pointing to major fluctuations in reproductive success. The over-arching
question therefore is: What limits recruitment success in COTS?
Small environmental perturbations that trigger life-stage-specific responses can have pronounced effects on
recruitment success and hence, on the dynamics of adult populations of COTS. My research explored the role
of environmental factors on gametogenesis and reproductive timing, as well as on spawning induction and
synchronicity. Environmental factors significantly influenced variability in reproductive behaviour and output.
Taken together, these results demonstrate that variable sensitivity of early life history stages and processes
to environmental factors can have flow-on effects that disproportionately impact recruitment success and
population replenishment in COTS.
Ocean warming and changes in the behaviour and physiology of crown-of-thorns starfish
Bethan Lang1
1
James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris.; COTS) and climate change are two of the most prominent
threats to the Great Barrier Reef, however there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding how COTS
may fare in a warmer ocean. Some studies have demonstrated that the immature stages of COTS are
sensitive to warming, potentially a result of the relatively stable thermal environment they experience in
the tropics. Adult COTS may also be highly thermosensitive as a result of the high energetic demands
associated with reproduction, as observed in other echinoderm species. Over the coming months I will be
conducting laboratory-based experiments in order to answer questions regarding the thermal tolerance and
sensitivity of COTS. I will investigate how COTS respond to warming in terms of locomotion, neuromuscular
coordination, metabolic rate and survival. I will also conduct acute thermal challenge experiments in order
to establish the temperature-induced aerobic scope and also the metabolic enzyme activity, with the aim of
determining the reliance on aerobic vs. anaerobic metabolism at different temperature points. This study will
enable us to better predict how future climate change will affect populations of COTS, and their effects on
corals and reef ecosystems.
Monitoring Designed for the COTS Control Program
David Westcott1
4
CSIRO Land & Water, Atherton, QLD, Australia
The IPM COTS Control Program (IPM CCP) has evolved dramatically since 2013. Moving into the next
outbreak cycle, however, it will need to evolve even more. The recent evolution of COTS control has been
driven by a shift to strategic decision making focused on where and when to invest resources to best achieve
management objectives. This shift has placed a premium on up-to-date and reliable monitoring of CoTS
density and distribution. The importance, and the required scope, of monitoring will only increase in the future
as the IPM CCP evolves to meet the challenges of the next outbreak cycle. In this talk I review monitoring and
surveillance in the IPM CCP and consider how the role of monitoring, and the monitoring needs themselves,
will change moving forward. I outline monitoring strategies that underpin our capacity to effectively manage
CoTS into the future and consider their implications for the IPM CCP.
17AIMS Long-term coral reef monitoring: putting COTS into context
Mike Emslie1
1
Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3, Townsville, QLD, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is under increasing pressure from a range of natural and anthropogenic pressures.
The Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) of the Australian Institute of Marine Science has been monitoring
of the status and trends of coral reef communities for over three decades. This represents a vast repository
of ecosystem-scale knowledge such as the composition and condition of benthic and reef fish assemblages,
counts of adult COTS and processes such as coral recovery. LTMP data has shown that hard coral cover on
the GBR has been in long-term decline, and that COTS are one of the top three natural disturbances to have
contributed to this decline. Recent analyses show that while the climate driven disturbances of mass coral
bleaching and cyclones have increased in spatial scale and frequency in recent years, the probability of a
reef being impacted by COTS has remained constant throughout the 35-year span of LTMP data. However,
the cumulative nature of disturbances has continued to cause declines in hard coral cover and shifts in coral
assemblage structure across much of the GBR, which have flow on effects on other reef associated organisms,
like reef fishes. LTMP data on reef fish dynamics has revealed that COTS have a lesser short-term effect on
reef fish assemblages than storms and multiple concurrent disturbances, however they may exhibit lagged
responses as dead coral skeletons slowly erode. Much of the data collected by LTMP are highly relevant for
the understanding of the COTS phenomenon and to support adaptive management action. Information on reef
fish assemblages has enabled investigations into the role of predatory fishes in controlling COTS numbers,
and preliminary results reveal variable evidence for any top-down control among different groups of reef fishes
on COTS populations. Recently, there has been a significant investment in manual COTS culling to preserve
coral assemblages on high value reefs. However, on many LTMP survey reefs in the central GBR, reef wide
coral cover has continued to decline, despite COTS culling effort. This is likely attributable to impacts of
other disturbances, notably mass coral bleaching, and the timing of culling commencement. LTMP data are
highly relevant to inform future COTS management, especially for “suppress & contain” actions during the
initiation phase of primary outbreaks by providing i) trends in COTS counts to complement other early warning
surveillance and ii) coral cover recovery and composition data contextualised within the disturbance history of
individual reefs.
Genetic larval quantification to improve understanding of outbreaks
Sven Uthicke1, Frances Patel1, Jason Doyle1
1
Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Coral predation by crown-of-thorns seastars (COTS) is a major contributor to the coral reef crises in the Indo-
Pacific Region, with the 4th wave of outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) now well under way. New
monitoring tools are needed to allow early detection, because early outbreak stages are difficult to detect
using scuba or manta tow surveys. Early outbreak detection would allow early intervention, but also improve
understanding of the exact initiation zone of the outbreaks. Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches are now
widely used in terrestrial and freshwater environments for detection of introduced pest species. In this three-
part presentation, we present the application of specific COTS genetic markers and eDNA approaches to i)
identify and quantify COTS larvae in the plankton and ii) detect the presence of post settlement COTS using
‘free eDNA’ from water samples, and iii) determine settlement trends of COTS. Supported by tourism operators
and COTS culling teams over the last five years, we have obtained over 2500 plankton samples to date. This
dataset can now be employed to i) detect the presence of COTS as early outbreak stages, ii) investigate small
scale temporal variability during the summer season to obtain details about spawning time of COTS, iii) look at
large scale inter-annual differences in larvae distribution and spread and iv) obtain cues about the relationship
between COTS larvae and water quality (‘nutrient hypothesis of outbreaks’). We propose to integrate larval and
post-settlement e-DNA monitoring into a large-scale COTS monitoring program for early outbreak detection
and to assist efficient COTS control.
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