Project 5.4 – Innovations To Support Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish Control and the Resilience of the Great Barrier Reef

Co Investigator

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) faces increasing threats from climate-induced mass bleaching, cyclones, and Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS). To maximise the GBR’s capacity to respond to these threats, it is vital to maintain coral cover and target management actions at the locations that best support the resilience of the GBR. Of the major threats to the GBR, only COTS can currently be directly managed. Australia’s COTS control program has already acted to reduce coral mortality at over 450 reefs. This project will develop innovations that increase the efficiency of COTS control, enabling protection of more reefs and more coral. To maximise the resilience of the GBR, we must target protection to networks of reefs that can function together to rapidly recover from disturbance. This project will build our understanding of the factors and locations that support the resilience of the GBR. The research will be closely partnered to deliver directly to research-users in the COTS Control Program and the Reef Authority. The innovations developed will progress the adaptive management of the resilience of Australia’s marine ecosystems.

01 Feb 2025 - 20 Nov 2026

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