Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam K. Hillberg, Meaghan K. Smith, Blake S. Lausen, Saowaros Suwansa-ard, Ryan Johnston, Shahida A. Mitu, Leah E. Macdonald, Min Zhao, Cherie A. Motti, Tianfang Wang, Abigail Elizur, Keisuke Nakashima, Noriyuki Satoh, Scott F. Cummins
Summary: This study confirms the toxicity of spine secretions from crown-of-thorns starfish, and identifies various secretory proteins as potential toxins. The study also suggests that these secretory proteins, along with other unknown proteins, may be stored and released from the spines to exert their toxic effects.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nina Yasuda, Jun Inoue, Michael R. Hall, Manoj R. Nair, Mehdi Adjeroud, Miguel D. Fortes, Mutsumi Nishida, Nat Tuivavalagi, Rachel Ravago-Gotanco, Zac H. Forsman, Taha Soliman, Ryo Koyanagi, Kanako Hisata, Cherie A. Motti, Noriyuki Satoh
Summary: This study sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of 243 crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) individuals from 11 reef regions in the Pacific Ocean. The results indicate two major clades, an East-Central Pacific (ECP) clade and a Pan-Pacific (PP) clade, with separate lineages within each. These findings provide insights into the evolutionary history and population structure of COTS in the Pacific Ocean, which can aid future research and management efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Peter C. Doll, Sven Uthicke, Ciemon F. Caballes, Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Muhammad A. Abdul Wahab, Bethan J. Lang, So Young Jeong, Morgan S. Pratchett
Summary: Population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) can cause extensive degradation of coral reefs, threatening their structure and function. Our findings demonstrate that various coralline algae species play a role in inducing COTS larvae to settle, but their effectiveness varies greatly. Considering larval behavior and algal ecology, this study highlights the ecological significance of coralline algae communities in driving COTS recruitment patterns.
Article
Biology
Benjamin Mos, Naomi Mesic, Symon A. Dworjanyn
Summary: The variable food supply in future ocean conditions affects the growth and development of Acanthaster sp. starfish larvae, indicating that the success of this species depends on phytoplankton abundance. Phytoplankton abundance is decreasing and becoming more variable due to ocean climate changes. The survival, development, and growth of larval crown-of-thorns starfish are influenced by low, high, and variable phytoplankton food supply, as well as by warming and acidification.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meaghan K. Smith, Bronwyn A. Rotgans, Tomas Lang, Ryan Johnston, Tianfang Wang, Saowaros Suwansa-ard, Utpal Bose, Nori Satoh, Michaela Egertova, Michael R. Hall, Maria Bryne, Maurice R. Elphick, Cherie A. Motti, Scott F. Cummins
Summary: This study investigates the ultrastructure of the radial nerve cords (RNCs) in the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish and identifies various secreted proteins and neuropeptides, providing insight into the ecological impact, movement, and regeneration of this coral predator.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maleika Heenaye-Mamode Khan, Anjana Makoonlall, Nadeem Nazurally, Zahra Mungloo-Dilmohamud
Summary: This paper presents a novel approach for automatically detecting Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with an enhanced attention module. Pre-trained CNN models (VGG19 and MobileNetV2) were applied to the dataset for COTS detection and classification using transfer learning. The enhanced model achieved an accuracy of 92.6% while explaining the causal features in COTS.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby, Symon Dworjanyn, Eva E. Plaganyi, Sven Uthicke, Kennedy Wolfe
Summary: This study investigated the predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) and found 26 novel predators, but only 10 species regularly consumed juvenile CoTS. Most predation resulted in severed bodies and missing arms, rather than total consumption. The research highlights the importance of predators during the juvenile stage in controlling CoTS populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Frederieke J. Kroon, Diego R. Barneche, Michael J. Emslie
Summary: This study demonstrates that removing predatory fish through commercial and recreational fisheries may contribute to outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (CoTS). Additionally, the research suggests that designing targeted fisheries management strategies, taking into account CoTS population dynamics, could help reduce the detrimental impacts of CoTS outbreaks in the Indo-Pacific region.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Conghui Peng, Kang Wang, Wei Wang, Fangfang Kuang, Yahui Gao, Ronggen Jiang, Xiuwu Sun, Xu Dong, Baohong Chen, Hui Lin
Summary: A cruise conducted in Xisha Islands, South China Sea, revealed that the low concentration of phytoplankton may hinder the growth of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (CoTS) larvae. Bacillariophyta was the dominant group in the phytoplankton communities, with 29 dominant species identified, including 4 species preferred by CoTS larvae. These findings provide important insights into the environmental conditions and phytoplankton community structure during CoTS outbreaks in the study area.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Omar Mendoza-Porras, Thao V. Nguyen, Rohan M. Shah, Peter Thomas -Hall, Lee Bastin, Dione J. Deaker, Cherie A. Motti, Maria Byrne, David J. Beale
Summary: This study investigated the metabolite and lipid profiles of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) tissues, including eggs. A total of 410 metabolites and 367 lipids were identified, with amino acids and peptides being the most abundant. COTS eggs had more diverse asterosaponins compared to other tissues. Metabolite and lipid profiles provided insights into tissue-specific processes and potential control strategies of COTS populations. Additionally, COTS was found to be a novel source of molecules with therapeutic and cosmetic properties.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Biao Chen, Kefu Yu, Qiucui Yao, Zhiheng Liao, Zhenjun Qin, Xiaopeng Yu, Qian Wu, Biao He
Summary: The study found that coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish in the South China Sea underwent historical population expansion, with genetic characteristics being influenced by various environmental factors, and genetic structure possibly related to different nutrient concentrations.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Yves-Marie Bozec, Scott A. Condie, Cameron S. Fletcher, Karlo Hock, Chris Roelfsema, David A. Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: CoTS outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have caused significant damage to coral ecosystems. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the current CoTS control program and suggests increasing control efforts to ensure coral persistence in the face of climate change impacts.
Article
Biophysics
Liwei Wang, Jiarong Xu, Hongjie Liu, Shaopeng Wang, Wenchao Ou, Man Zhang, Fen Wei, Songlin Luo, Biao Chen, Shaolong Zhang, Kefu Yu
Summary: An electrochemical biosensor and specific DNA probe were developed to detect low concentrations of COTS environmental DNA, allowing for rapid analysis of seawater samples. The method was validated through field analysis and demonstrated its potential as an early warning method for monitoring COTS populations pre-outbreak stages.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dione J. Deaker, Benjamin Mos, Corinne Lawson, Symon A. Dworjanyn, Claire Budden, Maria Byrne
Summary: The transition from herbivorous juvenile to coral-eating stage of crown-of-thorns starfish is crucial for population outbreaks that devastate coral reefs. The study found that juvenile starfish are vulnerable to coral attacks during this dietary shift and may experience sublethal and lethal damage. Despite being prey, coral can influence the survival of juveniles, potentially prolonging their growth and hindering their transition into coral predators.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Bethan J. Lang, Jennifer M. Donelson, Ciemon F. Caballes, Sven Uthicke, Peter C. Doll, Morgan S. Pratchett
Summary: The study found that 32 degrees Celsius exceeds the thermal optimum of the crown-of-thorns starfish, suggesting that prolonged exposure to temperatures exceeding this level, which are expected under near-future climate change, may be detrimental to this species.