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DRIVE AGAINST COTS... Nine injection pumps are now used to rid the Mambulao Bay coral reefs of the deadly Crown of Thorn Starfish (COTS). These gadgets have been donated by private individuals to help a group of volunteers led by Artem Andaya, a coral reef protection advocate, to rid the reefs of the deadly coral-eating starfish. - Photo courtesy Mambulao ArtsnCrafts


Drive against deadly starfish 
COTS gets a boost


By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

The initiative to uproot the destructive starfish in the coral reefs of Mambulao got an enormous boost with a donation of nine units of injection guns from the private sector.

The gadgets will kill the deadly Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) by injecting into its arms a specially concocted vinegar solution.

COTS will die later, making it easy for the volunteer divers to extract it from the coral it has clung in without the danger of being poisoned by its venomous spines.

Before the gadgets’ arrival, volunteers used a pair of thongs (pansipit) to pull them out of its lair.

Each of the gadgets comprising an injection gun and a bladder (to contain the vinegar solution) costs Php3,000.

Says Artem Andaya, the project coordinator: “We are excited on the six units of injection guns.

“With this level up COTS clean-up, we can depopulate more reef killers with lesser risk.”

The gadgets were donated by Mambolenos OKix Beriso (one unit), Irene Barela (two units), Allan T Aguirre (one unit), and the Barangay Council of Luklukan Sur thru chairperson Rolly Cervantes.

To recall, the coral reefs of Luklukan Sur are among those that were flattened by COTS.

This killer starfish sits on a coral and chews it up overnight until its fingers are crushed into fragments.

COTS can consume an area of its size overnight

The COTS’ drive has already uprooted about 10,000 starfish since it began early last month.

“There are still thousands of them in our coral reefs and we need to get rid of them before we could replant the reef areas with young corals,” Andaya said.

The uprooted COTS are brought ashore for burying under the ground.

The initiative has 24 volunteer-divers working in four teams.

 


 

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