Starfish killed to protect reef
2013-02-08 18:07
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Conservation
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Pago Pago - National Park Service divers have killed
almost 90 crown-of-thorn starfish in waters off American Samoa to protect the
reef.
The park service said on Thursday a single alamea
starfish may eat more than 9m² of living coral in a year.
Alamea devoured more than 80% of American Samoa's reefs
in 1977, the last time there was an outbreak.
Federal and territorial officials are working together
combat the latest outbreak.
They recently held a joint meeting to discuss ways to
eradicate the starfish before the population explodes the way it did 36 years
ago.
The park service says human activity apparently causes
the outbreaks.
Human development causes more fertilizer and waste to
flow into the ocean, feeding phytoplankton eaten by alamea larvae.
- SAPA
