2023-10-21 09:30:00
Global warming worsens coral bleaching. But according to Australian scientists, it might also encourage the proliferation of crown-of-thorns starfish, real predators of coral reefs and very resistant to marine heat waves.
Crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster) are often presented as the “worst enemies” of corals. In the juvenile stage, these starfish are herbivores. But when they reach adulthood, they transform into real predators of corals.
“Juveniles have potential for long-term persistence as herbivores because they wait for living coral to recover before preying on it“, explain Australian scientists from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Institute of Marine Studies (University of Sydney).
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