Reef Safeguards Stop Coral-Eating Starfish Collapse

Targeted protection of large predatory fish has prevented a major ecological tipping point on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, stopping runaway outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish.

“Our model shows these initiatives likely averted a catastrophic tipping point,” said Scott Condie, researcher at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.

Modelling shows that fishing restrictions and expanded no-take zones introduced in 2004 helped keep starfish outbreaks in check by preserving fish that prey on them directly or indirectly through the food web. Without these measures, outbreaks could have been four times more widespread and coral cover far lower, demonstrating how long-term conservation management can stabilise reef ecosystems even as climate pressures intensify.