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In the last decades, managers and local communities have been turning to active restoration as a mechanism to recover damaged reefs affected at an unprecedented rate because of climate change, anthropogenic activities, and natural events, such as outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns (CoT) starfish Acanthaster spp. A coral restoration experiment was con...
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... work was conducted at three sites: (1) El Corralito Bay (EC; 24°26´48.62˝N, 110°22´36110°22´36.48˝W), (2) Roca Swan (RS; 24°23´24.89˝N, 110°19´2.24˝W), and (3) Punta Diablo Bay (PD; 24°18´46.07˝N, 110°20´15.23˝W), all situated in the southwestern Gulf of California (Fig. 1). El Corralito is a small, protected bay located along the east side of Espiritu Santo Island-a national park located about 20 km northwest of the city of La Paz. The area is characterized by predominantly rocky substrate with interspersed coral patches dominated by Pocillopora spp., with maximum depths of 6 m ( Rodríguez-Romero et al. ...
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Ocean warming and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris ) are two of the greatest threats to coral reefs. As such, there is significant interest in understanding how CoTS may be directly impacted by rising ocean temperatures. Settlement of planktonic larvae and subsequent metamorphosis is purported to be a...
Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) are known to be widely distributed, and previous studies (showing limited genetic structure) suggest that there are high levels of connectivity at regional scales. It is possible, however, that methods used in previous studies (e.g., microsatellites) did not effectively resolve genetic diff...
A new species of crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS), Acanthaster benziei sp. nov., is described based on four specimens collected from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast where it inhabits coral reefs. Species delimitation from congeners in the species complex, i.e., Acanthaster planci, Acanthaster mauritiensis and Acanthaster cf. solaris, is primarily based...
Management of coral predators, corallivores, is recommended to improve coral cover on tropical coral reefs under projected increasing levels of accumulated thermal stress, but whether corallivore management can improve coral cover, which is necessary for large-scale operationalisation, remains equivocal. Here, using a multispecies ecosystem model,...
The nervous system of the Asteroidea (starfish or seastar) consists of radial nerve cords (RNCs) that interconnect with a ring nerve. Despite its relative simplicity, it facilitates the movement of multiple arms and numerous tube feet, as well as regeneration of damaged limbs. Here, we investigated the RNC ultrastructure and its molecular component...
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... Roca Swany and Corralito are the most frequented and disturbed sites. Local scientists and touristic dive companies have classified these sites as touristic, and previous publications have noted the high mortalities caused by crown-ofthorns starfish outbreaks (Rodríguez-Villalobos et al. 2020, Rodríguez-Villalobos & Ayala-Bocos 2021, Martinez & Reyes-Bonilla 2021. This MPA was placed due to its distinct biological features as an uninhabited island, which could have an impact on our results. ...
... Corralito was the greatest outlier in the PCoA (Fig. 4) and was also the most disturbed site due to high tourist visitation (often by inexperienced divers) and an abundant presence of a corallivore, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster cf. solaris (Rodríguez-Villalobos et al. 2020, Martinez & Reyes-Bonilla 2021, Rodríguez-Villalobos & Ayala-Bocos 2021. Roca Swany also experienced an outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish and is likewise heavily touristed (Rodríguez-Villalobos et al. 2020, Martinez & Reyes-Bonilla 2021. ...
... solaris (Rodríguez-Villalobos et al. 2020, Martinez & Reyes-Bonilla 2021, Rodríguez-Villalobos & Ayala-Bocos 2021. Roca Swany also experienced an outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish and is likewise heavily touristed (Rodríguez-Villalobos et al. 2020, Martinez & Reyes-Bonilla 2021. We consider the no-take zones as low disturbance because there is low activity in these areas due to their restrictions, such as no fishing or anchoring. ...
Genetic differentiation within species can be influenced by the distance between populations (isolation by distance, IBD) or by differences in the habitats they occupy (isolation by environment, IBE). Understanding the population structure and dynamics that influence genetic diversity within small (<100 km ² ) multi-use marine protected areas (MPAs) and varying disturbances or protections is relevant to better designing and managing them. Pocillopora grandis communities were studied at 10 different sites in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The comparison between sites inside and outside an MPA or whether the population structure followed IBD or IBE was investigated with the genetic marker HSP70B. Environmental heterogeneity was used to test for IBE, and was measured by comparing the present benthic communities by site and through analysis of satellite images, while distance was used to test for IBD. Mantel tests found that the population of P. grandis did not follow IBD or IBE. Instead, cluster analysis grouped low (no-take zones) and high (crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and highly visited by tourists) disturbance sites together with the remaining sites within and outside of the MPA in another cluster (ΦRT = 0.082, p = 0.007). Furthermore, lower genetic diversity was found at sites with low and high disturbance. Our results suggest that instead of IBE or IBD influencing the population structure, the protection and disturbance levels could have a correlation with genetic patterns (i.e. isolation by disturbance, ID). These findings will be valuable for MPAs in terms of efficient management of genetic diversity objectives by considering the appropriate spacing and protections, depending on how vulnerable a species is to disturbance.
... Another study at a restoration site in Mexico, found that an outbreaking population of COTS caused significant mortality of Pocillopora spp. (Martínez-Sarabia and Reyes-Bonilla, 2021). ...
Coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS, Acanthaster spp.) are major contributors to the coral reef crises across the Indo-Pacific region. Until recently, CoTS throughout the Indo-Pacific were regarded to be a single species, Acanthaster planci. However, genetic and morphological analyses demonstrated that there are at least four distinct species: Acanthaster benziei in the Red Sea, Acanthaster mauritiensis and A. planci in the Indian Ocean, and Acanthaster cf. solaris in the western Pacific. Acanthaster cf. ellisii in the eastern Pacific needs more taxonomic attention. Here, we review the biological knowledge for each species adapting a pragmatic geographical species definition and using a systematic literature review complemented with more focused searches for individual species. The vast majority of CoTS research (88%) was conducted on A. cf. solaris, with much of this research undertaken on the Great Barrier Reef or in Japan. Many studies of A. cf. solaris are focused on monitoring or documenting incidences of outbreaks, though there is a solid base of knowledge on larval, juvenile and adult ecology derived from field and laboratory experiments. By contrast, most of the published studies on the four remaining species simply document cases of population outbreaks. The major taxonomic bias in CoTS research constitutes a significant limitation for understanding and managing these species for two reasons. First, even for A. cf. solaris, which is the most studied species, limited fundamental knowledge of their biology and ecology constrains understanding of the drivers of outbreaks and hinders corresponding management actions for prevention and control of these events. Second, understanding and management of other species are predicated on the assumption that all CoTS species have similar biology and behaviour, an unsatisfying assumption for ecosystem management.
