Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish - Native To Subtropical Seas - Devastating Coral Reefs In Japan - J. Times

[hatrack]

OSAKA (Kyodo) The coral reefs of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, are being devoured by an explosive increase in poisonous starfish, and only five volunteer divers armed with tongs are combating them to save the rich marine environment.

The crown-of-thorns starfish ("oni-hitode") originally lived in subtropical seas. But after the 1990s, they started appearing off Kyushu and Shikoku as well as Wakayama, apparently because of global warming and eutrophication caused by the development of coastal areas of Japan.

Unless drastic eradication efforts are mounted, the coral reefs of Shirahama, a popular tourist spot on the Kii Peninsula, could be decimated within one or two years, experts warn. "If we keep removing (the starfish) in limited areas on a regular basis, there should be some effect," said Katsuyuki Nakaya, 53, who runs a shop catering to divers and chairs an environmentalist group based in the city of Wakayama.

The five volunteer divers, including Nakaya, must wear protective gear when prying the starfish off the coral because of the creatures' poisonous thorns.

EDIT

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091130a2.html

[Aviation Pro]

1. No worries....

...when Crown of Thorn Starfish populations increase their natural predators, tritons and certain species of wrasse, follow. Population control on the Great Barrier reef has been observed as a result of such predation.

[hatrack]

2. The question, though, is whether these same predators are in Japanese waters . . .

Though if the subtropical starfish can thrive there, one would think there would be at least some analogous predators on site.

[Aviation Pro]

5. The circulation of the Pacific Ocean on its western edge....

...pretty much guarantees relatively warm water surrounding Japan's southern island chain. Sort of like Bermuda on the Atlantic side.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Let's hope so!

The zebra mussel infestation in the US is proving impossible to combat.

[sui generis]

4. are they good eatin'?

I mean, there's fugu, so maybe eating some poisonous starfish nigiri could be entertaining too. . . .

:shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Whelks love them.

But whelks are being, well, you know -- killed off by humans.

[shraby]

6. I remember some time ago..the same starfish was

devastating the Australian Great Coral Reef. Articles about them were in the older National Geograpics. It was maybe in the 1970-1980 range if I remember correctly.