The Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program is set for another three years, with the Reef Authority welcoming new operators to deliver this world-leading Reef management program which is effectively protecting coral and supporting Reef health across entire reefs and regions.
Over the next three years, four operators will use six vessels to deliver over 3,500 days at sea, 57,300 diver hours, and protect up to 200 reefs across the Great Barrier Reef each year.
The $54.3 million commitment is part of the Reef 2050 Plan and a broader commitment of $161.4 million allocated by the Australian Government from 2022 to 2030 under the Reef Protection Package.
The Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program employs over 100 people and delivers training and capacity building opportunities in both on-water operations and shore-based management, planning and logistics.
Malu Ventures, an Indigenous business based in the Torres Straits, recently joined the Program. They will deliver Program operations in the remote Far Northern region of the Marine Park and provide training and employment opportunities for Reef Traditional Owners from the Torres Strait and North Queensland.
Crown-of-thorns starfish are a native coral predator on the Great Barrier Reef. Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish remain a serious threat to coral reef habitats, but effective coral protection through targeted, sustained and sufficient crown-of-thorns starfish control can contribute to the resilience of the Reef.
The Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program deploys targeted reef surveillance and systematic cull operations to detect and suppress starfish outbreaks to levels that are sustainable for coral growth and recovery.
The Program is informed by the best-available science and field intelligence and empowered by world-leading data-driven decision support systems.
Recent findings demonstrate that targeted outbreak surveillance and proactive, systematic and sustained cull operations can effectively suppress starfish numbers and sustain coral cover across entire reefs and regions.
Crown-of-thorns starfish control is a cost-effective and scalable action that is supporting the health and resilience of the Reef as the cumulative impacts of climate change continue to escalate.
Reef Authority Chief Scientist Dr Roger Beeden said management actions that support the Reef’s resilience are vital.
“Unlike other major causes of coral mortality, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks can be directly managed by targeted manual control — it is an effective, efficient, and scalable management action that is critical for the Great Barrier Reef’s long-term health and resilience,’ Dr Beeden said.
Assistant Director for the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program Dr Brigid Kerrigan said having an experienced fleet of vessels to control starfish outbreaks means the Reef is in safe hands.
“These three-year contracts mean there will be job security for the crown-of-thorns starfish control operators, but they also mean the Control Program has continuity in quality delivery of services,” Dr Kerrigan said.
Specialist trained dive teams systematically cull crown-of-thorns-starfish across reefs that are vulnerable to outbreaks and conduct targeted surveillance to detect outbreaks, direct control effort, and measure coral protection outcomes of the Program.