Standard Presentation (15 mins) Australian Marine Sciences Association 2022

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish management to achieve Reef 2050 goals for the Great Barrier Reef (#331)

Roger Beeden 1 , David Williamson 1 , Dylan Horne 1 , Rickard Abom 2 , Joanne Baker 1 , Daniel Beard 3 , Mary Bonin 4 , Clarissa Elakis 4 , Dan Godoy 5 , Sam Matthews 1 , Justin Moore 1 , Sheriden Morris 6 , Daniel Schultz 1 , Alejandro Usobiaga 7 , Richard Quincey 1
  1. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
  2. C2O consulting, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  3. INLOC, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  4. Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  5. Blue Planet Marine, Canberra, ACT, Australia
  6. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  7. Pacific Marine Group, Townsville, 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 at all levels to reduce the impact of COTS in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. COTS 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 under the Reef Authority’s overarching COTS Strategic Management Framework via a partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC), the tourism industry and research partners. This approach ensures that the best available science underpins in-water actions. The goal of the COTS Control Program is to protect coral habitat by culling starfish down to ecologically sustainable levels to promote coral growth and recovery. This presentation will summarise the Program strategy, partnership highlights, and how the outcomes since 2012 enhance Great Barrier Reef resilience consistent with the goals of the Reef 2050 plan.