Preparing for summer takes many forms for people all over Australia.

Whether it’s holiday plans, new year’s resolutions, or working on the house.

For the crown-of-thorns starfish control program, summer marks the halfway point of their annual work program, a chance to reassess how they are tracking and make plans for any anticipated weather events across the Reef. 

The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Control Program, led by the Reef Authority and delivered alongside partners and contractors, protects coral across the Great Barrier Reef by targeting the suppression of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.

The crown-of-thorns starfish is an incredible coral predator. Evolved to take advantage of the environment around them, they can consume their body size in coral each day.

While a single crown-of-thorns starfish hold no threat to a reef, when joined by hundreds or thousands of others, they can make their way through most of the coral in sight. 

Informed by systematic surveillance of reefs, Eye on the Reef sightings and predictive models, a fleet of dedicated vessels crewed with specially trained divers visit over 200 target reefs each year.

On each reef visit, divers assess the state of the reef – checking for the health of the coral, looking for crown-of-thorns starfish and the tell-tale feeding scars they leave behind.

Where starfish numbers are too high to sustain coral growth and recovery,  dive teams conduct culling operations using a lethal injection of ox bile or a simple household staple - vinegar. 

As far as all well thought out plans go, there must be room to move. For the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program, being able to pivot and prevent emerging outbreaks is vital to stay ahead of the game.

Regular catch ups like the mid-year strategic planning workshop, provide an opportunity for Program partners and contractors to share knowledge, highlight risks and opportunities and refocus on-water efforts.

With a geographic spread that spans the entire Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, it is essential that the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Control Program draws upon the best available science, data and field intelligence to inform on-water operations and maximise coral protection outcomes.

To see where the vessels have been this year, head to the Crown-of-thorns starfish project dashboard.