The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), known as the coral killer, has flooded coral reefs all over the world in recent years. In an effort to curb the devastation caused by the starfish in the waters of the Dongsha Atoll, the Marine National Park Headquarters (hereinafter referred to as the Headquarters) of the National Park Service of the Ministry of the Interior has been conducting continuous underwater monitoring. Based on the results of the monitoring, the removal of crown-of-thorns starfish from the Dongsha Atoll was conducted from June 6 to 12 this year. After a week’s effort, a total of 1,840 crown-of-thorns starfish were removed, temporarily mitigating the ecological crisis of corals in the Dongsha Atoll.

The Headquarters has established about twenty fixed monitoring stations in the waters of the Dongsha Atoll National Park to conduct annual underwater surveys and assess the ecological status of coral reefs. In the future, the Headquarters will continue to closely monitor the ecological status of coral reefs in the waters under its jurisdiction and monitor the range and numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish. The Headquarters will expand its removal measures in a timely manner to effectively control the crown-of-thorns starfish population and minimize the damage to the corals to maintain the rich and healthy coral reef ecosystem in the waters of the Dongsha Atoll National Park.