KOROR STATE GOVERNMENT MARINE TOUR GUIDE ... - C3

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3.6 Threats to Coral Reefs 3.6.1 Predators on Corals The COT is an unusually large starfish and can grow to more than 80cm in diameter. It has up to 21 arms, covered in long venomous spines. Breeding Recent research by David Idip Jr., a Researcher at the PICRC, has revealed two spawning times for COTs, March-June and September, which seem to be associated with a decrease in water temperature. They release eggs and sperm into the water. When the eggs are fertilized, they become larvae which spend 2-3 months drifting in the ocean currents. The juveniles settle onto the reef when they are about 1-2mm across. They live among rocks and rubble on the reef and are almost invisible until they are about 6 months old. A COT can breed for 5-7 years and each female can produce up to 250 million eggs in a single spawning season. The starfish gather in the shallow water to spawn which increases the chance of fertilizing the eggs. So a small population of COTS could potentially produce a very large number of offspring. Feeding Young COTS eat encrusting (coralline) algae which is common among rocks and rubble on the reef. At about 6 months of age, they start to eat coral and begin to grow more rapidly. Over the next two years, the starfish can grow from 1cm to 25cm in diameter. When there are few COTS, they tend to be hidden under corals during the day and move into the open to feed at night. They feed mainly on coral species that they prefer, and may not eat the entire coral colony. Pat Colin As a result, the reef can recover quite rapidly from low levels of coral feeding. Some reefs seem to support small populations of crown-of thorns starfish for many years, with only a small reduction in coral cover. However, when starfish occur in large numbers, there is intense competition for food and most corals will be eaten, including the less-favored species. The starfish aggregate and stay in the open, feeding night and day. During a severe outbreak, there can be several COTs per square meter and they can kill most of the living coral in an area of reef, reducing coral cover from the usual 25-40% to less than 1%. 48
What causes COTS outbreaks? While there have been many theories on the causes of outbreaks of COTs, there are three theories that are supported by the scientific community. Presently these theories have neither been proven nor disproved. They are: 1. Fluctuations in the COTs are a natural phenomenon. 2. Removal of the predators (triton shells) of the COTs has allowed populations to expand. 3. Human use of the coastal zone has increased the nutrient flowing into the sea and resulted in an increase in planktonic food for larvae of the COTs. The improved survival of larvae has led to an increase in the number of adult starfish which results in outbreak Outbreaks documented in Palau, include (numbers of starfish removed from reefs in brackets): 1969 – (14,591) – 4 locations 1971 – (1191) – 15 locations 1979 – (100,000) – 5 locations >50,000 in 12 days from Malakal Harbor 2001-2002 – (4000) from Lighthouse Reef alone Controlling COTs outbreaks Natural Methods: Natural controls on starfish populations include high mortality of the larvae, predation of small starfish and diseases. Adult starfish have few predators because of their tough and toxic ‘skin’ and long spines. There is little evidence of major diseases in COTs. Other control methods: It is not possible to eliminate COTs from reefs where they are in outbreak densities but with sufficient effort, local areas can be protected. The method currently used in Palau involves spearing the COTS using a wooden stake and removing them from the water. In Australia, the recommended control method involves trained divers injecting otherwise harmless chemical (sodium bisulfate solution) into the starfish, which kills them within a few days. However, other starfish can quickly move into the control areas from other parts of the reef. In an area with a large population of COTs, control is usually required on a daily basis. Information Source: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish on the Great Barrier Reef: Current Status of Knowledge, April 2001, CRC Reef Research Centre, Townsville, Australia 49
Page 1 and 2: Koror State Government Tour Guide C
Page 3 and 4: Chapter 4: TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORA
Page 5 and 6: Permission to utilize information P
Page 8 and 9: 1.1 Geography of Palau 1.1.1 Locati
Page 10 and 11: 1.1.3 Geology and Formation The vol
Page 12 and 13: As a result the Traditional Leaders
Page 14 and 15: sports activities. Tourism has also
Page 16 and 17: approval of the OEK is the creation
Page 20 and 21: Chapter 2: The Tour Guide 20
Page 22 and 23: 2.1.3 Roles of the tour guide Apart
Page 24 and 25: 2.4.1 Snorkel in the Comfort Zone T
Page 26 and 27: when diving, make sure their buoyan
Page 28 and 29: • When leading a group you must w
Page 30 and 31: 2.9 Interesting Natural History Fac
Page 32 and 33: weak or non-existent currents. Insi
Page 34 and 35: the cut and drift along the edge of
Page 36 and 37: Gozan Maru A 305ft long naval cargo
Page 38 and 39: Chapter 3: Marine Environment 38
Page 40 and 41: Though most conservation areas are
Page 42 and 43: 2. Reduce unnecessary burning. Burn
Page 44 and 45: 3.4 Seagrass Beds Palau has extensi
Page 46 and 47: Usually, spawning occurs 3-5 days a
Page 50 and 51: 3.6.2 Climate Change What is coral
Page 52 and 53: Coral Bleaching Event in Palau The
Page 54 and 55: glacial period, approximately 20,00
Page 56 and 57: Lake and lagoon golden jellyfish al
Page 58 and 59: Jellyfish Lake’s golden jellyfish
Page 60 and 61: How many golden jellyfish inhabit t
Page 62 and 63: anemone population has quickly expa
Page 64 and 65: 3.8 Important Marine Life 3.8.1 Mar
Page 66 and 67: 3.8.3 Sharks A lot of bad publicity
Page 68 and 69: 3.8.5 Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits Alt
Page 70 and 71: Pat Colin Human Impacts Turtle popu
Page 72 and 73: Sources for Additional Reading: The
Page 74: Organization and focus Oceana=works
Page 77 and 78: This section covers a few aspects o
Page 79 and 80: 4.2 Palauan Money Udoud According t
Page 81 and 82: 4.5 Rock Island Art and Historical
Page 83 and 84: 4.6 Stone Monoliths Stone carvings
Page 85 and 86: 4.8 Bai A traditional Palauan meeti
Page 87 and 88: traded metal tools with them, and t
Page 89 and 90: 5.1 Historical Periods The history
Page 91 and 92: 5.1.3 Modern Times At the start of
Page 93 and 94: Site Name Ngerengchol 5.2 Historica
Page 95 and 96: 5.3 Best Practice Guidelines for Si
Page 97 and 98: 6.1 An Overview Traditional Knowled
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• Carbon dioxide excess • Decom
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6. Life-Threatening Emergencies: Ch
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6.3.1 Hazardous marine animal injur
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6.4 Dive Equipment 6.4.1 Dive Equip
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107
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7.1 NATIONAL GOVERNMENT WATER SAFET
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proper working order. Each Supervis
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7.3.2 Personal Flotation Device Eve
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7.4 Palau Marine Advisory System Th
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117
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7.5 KOROR STATE WATER SAFETY REGULA
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7.5.5 Emergency Information a) Be f
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7.5.10 Personal Watercraft (See Kor
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making headway, as typified by, but
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7.6.8 Section VIII DEPTH RESTRICTIO
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129
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8.1 KOROR STATE ROCKS ISLANDS MANAG
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8.2 KOROR STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND C
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Table 2 Designated Tourist Areas an
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SUMMARY OF KOROR STATE ENVIORNMENTA
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FISHING LICENSES • Koror State Pu
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of the entrance to the Ngkisaol isl
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Additionally, any violator shall be
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of Ngchelobel; the island of Ngeang
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for a non-commercial fishing licens
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• Protected Sea Life sets regulat
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Table 6: Invertebrate Species Regul
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8.4 Environmental Quality & Protect
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environment” will become especial
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(K) "Licensing or Permitting Agency
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(3) The Class B designation should
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2401-11-27 Palau Discharge Permit A
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(A) The Board may either approve, c
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WATER USE AREAS: CLASSIFICATION AND
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2401-11-48 Contents of Certificatio
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MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 2401-11-56
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DO: Keep all waste on board in pro
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KOROR STATE GOVERNMENT MARINE TOUR GUIDE ... - C3

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