Ecological Effects of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Removal Programme on Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Date
2008
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ft. Lauderdale
Abstract
Abstract. Data on reef benthos has been annually collected on Chumbe, Bawe and Changuu reefs close to
Zanzibar, Stone Town, since 1992. The data shows that the El Niño in the Indian Ocean in 1997/1998 reduced
the coral cover on most reefs with up to 30%. After the El Niño, a slow recovery was noticed until a major
Crown-of-Thorn Starfish (COTS) outbreak occurred in 2002/2003 followed by a dramatic decrease in live
Acropora cover. Only one of the reefs shows an exception – the protected Marine Sanctuary on the western side
of Chumbe Island. When the first COTS were seen, the park management immediately initiated an on-going
COTS removal programme, which has had a significant positive impact on the reef recovery. On the protected
reef, the percent cover of live coral is back on the same level as before the bleaching event. Manual COTS
removal programmes are often seen as a waste of time and resources, as their impact are often short term. But
the results from this study argue that in a relatively small reef area it is a viable option for maintained or
increased reef health and for improving recovery prospects of coral after large natural disturbances
Description
Keywords
COTS, coral mortality, Zanzibar, Ecological Effects
Citation
Muhando, C.A. and Lanshammar, F., Ecological Effects of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Removal Programme on Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania.