Though this community is very focused in Machine Learning let's try to enlarge our knowledge about how to Control COTS (Crown-of-Thorns Starfish). I was in doubt if I publish this topic or not. However, it's still Data Science. Additionaly COTS detection is the object of this Competition. Why to detect them if no Control will be implemented. So, Control and Detection are deeply linked.
\nAuthor: Dan Gladish
\n\"While knowledge about the preferred habitat for crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) has increased in recent times, there is still high uncertainty in understanding the environmental factors and conditions of COTS habitat and abundance. Some efforts have focused on statistical models, accounting for random effects. In this work, They present efforts in linking different environmental factors to COTS through generalized linear mixed modelling. In particular, we analyse the effects of bleaching and coral cover in explaining the habitat of COTS. Their focus is on data at the site and reef scales during a recent bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef. This analysis is funded by NESP TWQ Hub.\"
Author: Brett Kettle, Andy Steven, Joshua Riddell, Brano Kusy,
\n\"Manta towing (tow-boarding) was first used for crown-of-thorns starfish management 51 years ago, and with few modifications remains the staple for many reef monitoring initiatives. A modernisation program would seek to improve speed and depth range, apply geolocations to individual observations, adopt artificial intelligence / machine learning (AIML) to reduce latency in data analysis, archive vision for repurposing datasets to address future research questions, increase survey repeatability, and reduce personnel requirements. Vertigo3 achieves these objectives in a suitcase-sized ‘towed glider’, 650mm in wingspan and weighing 5kg. Vertigo3’s design philosophy focusses on overcoming four physical constraints: towing the robotic device behind a small boat provides the energy required to overcome the density of the medium and to combat tidal velocities; the absence of GPS signals or other reef-wide positioning systems is mitigated by calculating offsets from the vessel’s GPS, and by on-board sensors that allow image rectification and geo-referencing; underwater bandwidth limits are overcome by a reinforced fibre optic tow cable that provides gigabit bandwidth so that the surface operator sees live streaming vision with real-time AIML augmentation; and operations in topographically complex environments are facilitated by a strategy of small size and mass, authoritative 3-axis flight controls and fast fusion of terrain-following sensors. In its current incarnation Vertigo3 operates comfortably to 7kts and 15m depth, capturing 500,000 5MP images per day, with real-time ML models operating at 10 frames per second. The device autopilots with minimal inputs from the vessel coxswain, allowing for single-handed operations. AIML object detection skills have been demonstrated for temperate starfish, and seabed classification methods are currently being trialled for seagrass identification and density mapping. Vertigo3 appears amenable to adaptation for crown-of-thorns starfish management,
\nwith geolocation, immediacy of starfish detection, AIML and larger/faster survey footprints potentially offering opportunities to refine management field methods and productivity. Vertigo3 is intended to become an open\u0002sourced tool for marine biophysical surveys, and its developers are currently seeking collaborations to build new use cases.\"
Author: Matthew Dunbabin
\n\"Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our ability to perform robust classification and segmentation of many different natural scenes to varying degrees of certainty (or uncertainty). These algorithms, when trained appropriately and optimised, can be run on-board current, low-power hardware for in-field real-time predictions that can be used for COTS control and surveillance. This presentation will provide an overview of how Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) has been used for real-time COTS detection. It will describe the process used to train the DNNs and COTS tracking algorithms, as well as provide insights into the challenges and performance
\nresults for field deployment. It will conclude by presenting our latest approaches to AI-enabled robotic systems for broader scale automated surveillance and real-time in-field decision systems for reef-based conservation activities.\"
Authors: Scott A. Condie, Russ C. Babcock, Cameron S. Fletcher, Éva E. Plagányi, David A. Westcott
\n\"Regular outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have combined with coral bleaching and tropical cyclones to severely deplete coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and this deterioration is likely to accelerate under the influence of climate change. Optimising COTS control strategies within such a complex system requires a systems-modelling approach. The Coral Community Network (CoCoNet) model represents major coral groups and age-structured COTS populations on more than 3750 reefs connected through ocean larval dispersal. It includes realistic environmental forcing (tropical cyclones, floods, and coral bleaching) and has been validated in terms of historical coral cover and the outbreak and propagation of COTS through the GBR network. Results suggest that recently developed control methods combined with existing vessel capacity could potentially reduce COTS populations below the ecological threshold (for net coral growth) on
\nmost GBR reefs. However, this will be achieved gradually over the next two decades and maintaining control capacity throughout the COTS boom-bust cycle will be critical to the success of the strategy.\"
Authors: Éva E. Plagányi, Jacob Rogers, Russ C. Babcock, Scott A. Condie, Laura Blamey,
\nCameron S. Fletcher, David A. Westcott
\n\"Extensive control programs on the GBR involve manual culling of COTS in the field, and research is needed to inform these management efforts. Models of Intermediate Complexity for Ecosystem assessments (MICE have been used to describe the trophic interactions between juvenile and adult COTS, and two groups of coral (fast- and slow-growing corals). By fitting to available data, the reef-scale models are able to quantify the outcomes for coral of different abundances of COTS as well as evaluate the efficacy of alternative levels and strategies for culling COTS. This approach has been used to underpin estimates of ecological thresholds, and how these vary with varying coral
\ncover. Further model refinements are incorporating COTS reproductive features, movement behaviour, predators and habitat variables to further inform on optimal methods for controlling COTS at selected reefs.\"
Authors: David Westcott, Cameron Fletcher, Scott Condie, Dan Gladish, Mary Bonin, Sheriden Morris
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a significant contributor to hard coral loss throughout the Indo-Pacific Region. Since the 1960s, on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and across the Indo-Pacific Region, 10s of millions of dollars have been spent on COTS control. Despite this significant investment the general consensus has been that control has had only limited success. During the current outbreak on the GBR a new approach to manual control has been implemented with the introduction of a coordinated control program and a strategic approach to control based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. \"
\n\"The IPM Program identifies program objectives and the key tasks that must performed, it optimises how these are achieved, and then applies a structured approach to decision making at each of the relevant scales: the site, the individual reef, the region and the GBR as a whole. This structured approach to decision making integrates an understanding of the processes underpinning COTS population dynamics, fleet and dive operations logistics and control program objectives across these scales.\"
\nIn this presentation they used data from the IPM Program’s operations to address the following four questions:
\n1) How effective is the program in achieving COTS control at the scale of the site, the individual reef and the region?
\n2) How reliable are the decision criteria used to guide decision making?
\n3) What does this tell us about the potential of the current program for responding to the next outbreak?
\n\"Their results indicated that the program is far more effective than was initially anticipated and suggest that a modestly funded program, operating under our IPM principles, could significantly modify the dynamics of the next COTS outbreak on the GBR.\"
Authors: Darren Cameron, Roger Beeden, Jo Baker, Mary Bonin, Dylan Horne, Anya Jaeckli,
\nSam Matthews, Tristan Simpson, Daniel Schultz, David Williamson,
\n\"The Reef 2050 Plan identifies crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks as a significant threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. It calls on us to work collaboratively across government, research and industry bodies to reduce the impact of COTS in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. \"
\n\"These outbreaks compound the damage caused by tropical cyclones and coral bleaching events, and mitigating their impact is one of the most scalable and feasible on-ground management interventions currently available to enhance Reef resilience and recovery in the face of climate change.
\n\"The COTS Control Program is delivered as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s management strategy to address the COTS threat. The Program’s manual in-water control component is delivered through a strategic partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC).\"
\n\" Since its inception, the COTS Control Program has been carried out in collaboration with tourism industry and research partners to ensure the best available science and local knowledge are incorporated into on-ground action. \"
\n\"The goal of the COTS Control Program is to protect coral by culling starfish down to ecologically sustainable levels that promote coral growth and recovery. They are not attempting to stop the outbreaks or eradicate the starfish; these are not feasible goals given the limitations of current control methods.\"
\n\" The Program strategically focuses its resources on individual reefs of high ecological and economic value across the Marine Park using dedicated vessels and trained crews. With the expansion of the program in 2018, they implemented an innovative new approach to pest management in collaboration with our research partners in the National Environmental Science Program. \"
\n\"Crews on board the fleet of vessels are now trained to use targeted surveillance, intensive culling, and reef health surveys to achieve sustainable starfish numbers that promote coral growth and recovery. To support this new approach, the Marine Park Authority has developed data capture apps and visualisation tools to support adaptive and data-driven decision making. \"
\n\"The expanded COTS Control Program is protecting coral from COTS impacts on a network of >100 high value reefs across the Marine Park. The COTS Control Program has undergone significant improvement since its inception, and we strive to maintain this momentum, delivering world-leading, science-based, adaptive management of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef looking forward to 2050.\"
Authors: Jason Doyle, Sven Uthicke
\n\"Monitoring of COTS densities and consequently defining outbreaks is typically done via manta tow or RHIS survey. COTS densities that exceed pre-defined outbreak thresholds have most likely been developing well before the outbreak was identified, thus the importance of pre-outbreak detection is crucial to implementing appropriate management strategies. We present an environmental DNA approach to early detection of COTS pre-outbreak populations.\"
\n\"In August 2018, we conducted an eDNA sampling trip from three reefs on the Great Barrier Reef along a COTS density gradient. To detect post-settlement individuals, replicate (> 40 per reef) 2.5L surface water samples were collected, filtered and preserved for DNA extraction. DNA extracts were then analysed via digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). We demonstrated that there is a relationship with both mtDNA copy numbers and overall number of positive samples to COTS densities. Follow up sampling at two of the three reefs in May 2019 revealed a shift in the COTS eDNA detections corresponding to a southward migration of the current outbreak.\"
\n\"By comparing data to in-water field surveys, we demonstrated that COTS densities below those classified as ‘outbreak levels’ can be detected using eDNA. We are currently fine tuning the method by simplifying workflow, testing for best sampling times and locations, testing automated samplers and testing for sample numbers needed.\"
Authors: David Williamson, Joanne Baker, Roger Beeden, Darren Cameron, Dylan Horne, Anya Jaeckli, Sam Matthews, Daniel Schultz, Mary Bonin
\n\"Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) periodically occur on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and typically result in broad-scale declines in hard coral cover and shifts in benthic community structure. \"
\n\"On the Great Barrier Reef, COTS are a major driver of systemic coral decline and efforts to mitigate their impact have been amplified in recent years through an expanded COTS Control Program. The COTS Control Program employs a data-driven strategic approach to decide where, when and how to undertake starfish management across the expanse of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.\"
\n\"These decisions are underpinned by several innovative tools designed to provide decision-makers (i.e. Marine Park managers and control vessel crews) with the information required to allocate program resources efficiently and effectively. The Program is being adaptively managed in close partnership with science and industry partners, and it is currently delivered through a fleet of five vessels with professional crews trained to undertake COTS surveillance, culling and reef health surveys.\"
\n\"This talk will provide an overview of our strategic approach to vessel allocation across Marine Park management regions, reef prioritisation within regions, and rank for action amongst prioritised reefs. They will provide insight into the successes and challenges they have faced along the way, highlighting key knowledge gaps and areas for scientific innovation from a management perspective.\"
\n\"The Marine Park Authority is committed to working collaboratively with their science, industry and stakeholder partners to apply the best available knowledge and experience to understand and effectively manage COTS populations and deliver real-world benefits for the health of the ecosystem and for the people that utilise it.\"
Authors: Jack Strickland, Alejandro Usobiaga, Enrique Mosquera
\n\"Pacific Marine Group (PMG) is working for GBRMPA to control the COTS population on high value reefs in the Marine Park Townsville to Mackay area, between Townsville and the Whitsundays (latitudes -18.9’ S and -21.1’ S). As a COTS control operator, PMG’s aim is to reduce COTS densities to allow for coral growth to outpace COTS feeding capacities as determined by CSIRO , as well as undertaking reef Surveillance, Reef Health Impact Surveys and supporting research activities.\"
\n\"In 18 months of ongoing operations PMG have visited three reefs. Two of which were categorized to be in ‘Severe Outbreak’ from the COTS/Tow observed on the first visit with since over 52,000 COTS removed.\"
\n\"According to the most recent Surveillance both reefs are categorized as ‘No Outbreak’ status.
\nTo date we have spent over 300 operational days and more than 7,000 dive hours on the reefs and will share PMG learnings and how the activities have evolved since the early trips to date, covering an insight into the successes, challenges, limitations and constraints faced along the way from the operator’s perspective.\"
\n\"They aim to provide an insight view of a COTS control dive operation with a comprehensive overview on all the field aspects including; decision making processes, dive planning and tactics, equipment, environmental considerations, safety aspects, helpful tools and resources.\"
\n\"Finally, whilst notable impact has been made over the past 18months on the COTS densities on two reefs, PMG acknowledges that COTS management is still an ongoing operation far from completion and our efforts so far are to be replicated across the 28 Priority Reefs assigned to PMG’s working area. They are optimistic regarding the future of our culling operations but will strive to demonstrate COTS management is a dynamic operation requiring a close working relationship between all stakeholders from operators, scientific community and policy makers.\"
Authors: Dan Godoy, Dave Paton, Michael Civiello, Tom Taylor-Latt.
\n\"As part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) control program, Blue Planet Marine (BPM) has been engaged to undertake COTS Control and research activities within several regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Within the prescribed scope of work, BPM have undertaken operations across a vast expanse of the GBRMP, extending from the Lockhart River in the Far North region down to the Bunker Group at the southern extremity of the Marine Park.\"
\n\"Since operations commenced in November 2018, BPM have spent 355 days at sea undertaking surveillance, culling, reef health surveys, and providing COTS research support. Overall, BPM have completed more than 7,800 surveillance manta tows extending over 1,650 km across 102 ecologically and economically important priority target reefs.\"
\n\"In addition, BPM have established more than 600 permanent Reef Health and Impact Survey (RHIS) sites and controlled over 13,000 COTS. With the support of the GBRMPA COT Management Team, these significant achievements by our dedicated team has resulted in the collection and provision of highly valuable coral cover and health indices, while substantially reducing the impact of COTS in support of the GBRMPA Reef Blueprint for Resilience initiative.\"
\n\"Ultimately, being at the interface between sound management principals developed under the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Integrated Pest Management Program and the utilisation of operational methodologies to achieve those established management targets, BPM are delighted to share a unique insight through our experiences, challenges and successes.\"
Author: Rickard Abom
\n\"The Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Trust Partnership (RTP) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) Control Program aims to reduce coral damaged caused by COTS in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) is partnering with the Reef & Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to deliver this program, in collaboration with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research activities delivered through the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Tropical Water Quality (TWQ) Hub.
\nDuring the reporting period (1 July to 31 December 2020), the three INLOC COTS control vessels were operating – MV Hero, MV Tura and MV Venus II – in coordinated surveillance, reef health impact surveys (RHIS) and culling activities on target reefs across an area of the GBR between Lizard Island and Airlie Beach. \"
\n\"The vessel crew also provide research support to NESP and other research programs. In summary:
\n• \"The three INLOC vessels conducted 32 voyages of generally 10-days each but varying between 5 and 19 days due to weather and logistics. \"
\n• \"These voyages signify 331 days of COTS control activities in the GBR Marine Park with a total of 3,665 hours of dive time conducting surveillance, RHIS and culling activities over 67 different reefs (including 3 non-priority reefs). \"
\n• \"A total of 13,841 COTS were culled from 3,090 ha of the GBR Marine Park. These reefs represent 64 of the 123 priority reefs in the Lizard Island to Airlie Beach region allocated to 2020/2021 workplan.\"
\n•\" Their teams provided 122 hours of research support through the NESP TWQ Hub and other research programs, contributing to closing the IPM loop between science and impact for the COTS Control Program.\"
starfish for the last 100 years; additional insights into secondary outbreaks
\nAuthor: Nina Yasuda
\n\"The distribution and population outbreak records of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris, in Japan from 1912 to 2015 was reviewed and analyzed. The literature survey suggests that COTS distribution has been extending northwards since 1945 from Amami Ohshima (its previous northernmost distribution) to Miyake Island and Goto Island.\"
\n\"Genetic homogeneity within Japanese COTS populations indicates that larval dispersal has likely caused this poleward migration. Water temperatures have significantly increased in the temperate area of Japan, implying that climate change is partly responsible for this poleward migration. More frequent and intense population outbreaks in temperate areas were also observed, possibly in relation to increased water temperatures and successive larval dispersal from the south. Overall, complex and persistent patterns were observed fortwo major successive population outbreaks in Japan: from 1969 to 1991 and from 1995 to now. \"
\n\"The evidence suggests that the western Okinawa populations are the most likely origin for secondary outbreaks within Japan. The Amami population is also likely to be an important source for outbreaks intemperate regions. However, no records of intensive population outbreaks were found until 2015 for least in two regions: Ogasawara and the Ohsumi Islands. Ogasawara is located approximately 1,000 km south of the Kuroshio Current, so infestation via larval dispersal from other populations is more limited than in other Kuroshio regions. The Ohsumi Islands are, however, located in the middle of the Kuroshio Current, implying that insufficient corals are available for the growth of COTS or that unknown environment factors suppress recruitment and juvenile survival.\"
Authors: Ken Okaji, Kei Ogasawara, Eiji Yamakawa, Makoto Kitamura, Naoki Kumagai, Nobuyuki Nakatomi, Shuichi Yamamoto, Ryota Nakajima, Koichi Kinjo, Masako Nakamura, Nina Yasuda,
\n\"Repeated outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have devastated Okinawa’s coral communities during the past five decades. For identifying the important causal factors of outbreaks and developing a new management policy, Okinawa Prefectural Government implemented its first ever comprehensive research program on this species between 2012 and 2018.\"
\n\"The program involved water quality observation, larval nutrition, larval dispersal simulation, and juvenile ecology. The results of the program suggested the following: 1) food availability for COTS larvae quickly increases to the level at which larval growth nd survival is supported after heavy rainfall; 2) in addition to phytoplankton, COTS larvae are able to utilize particulate organic matter such as detritus and coral mucus as supplemental food sources; 3) COTS larval dispersion leading to successful recruitment is likely a local-scale event; 4) the prediction of COTS outbreaks by monitoring the density of alga-eating juveniles is considered to be feasible. \"
\n\"On the basis of these results, the Okinawa Prefectural Government proposes water quality improvement in the coastal catchment areas as a long-term target as well as continued physical removal of COTS in limited areas for short-term management.\"
Authors: Johanna Johnson, David Welch, Peter Whitelaw, Christina Shaw, Pascal Dumas,
\n, Rocky Kaku, Owen Drew, Kehana Andrew
\n\"Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands with the majority of the population living in coastal areas based on a subsistence lifestyle that relies on healthy coral reef ecosystems for sustainable fisheries, small-scale livelihoods and reef tourism. \"
\n\"Vanuatu has experienced crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks numerous times, and previous COTS outbreaks documented in 2006, 2008 and 2014 caused significant reef habitat declines. There is currently an active outbreak of COTS in Vanuatu that has been observed on fringing reefs around the main island of Efate and nearby islands of Lelepa, Moso, Ifira and Hideaway, areas of high to very high coral cover. There are also reports of COTS on fringing reefs around islands to the north – Nguna, Pele, Espiritu Santo – as well as islands in the south of the country – Tanna.\"
\n\"Due to limited resources and high accessibility of fringing reefs, COTS control is haphazard through a voluntary program, and only some data (e.g. number of COTS culled) are documented using an online reporting system. Marine tourism operators and community groups are leading the initiative using injector kits to cull COTS, and remote villages without kits are removing COTS manually and burning or burying them. \"
\n\"Critically, a network of committed marine stakeholders are reporting sightings of COTS in high densities and responding accordingly with collective culling efforts. Communities have also used a ‘bounty’ system as incentive to remove COTS, with Pele Island addressing a recent outbreak and protecting their high-value eco-tourism reefs.\"
\n\" An intensive 6-months of control in 2020 removed over 5,600 COTS and identified hotspot areas around Pango Peninsula and in Mele Bay. Observations that COTS outbreaks are becoming more frequent is of great concern to the tourism and fishing sectors, and future successful COTS control will require a more strategic and coordinated approach that is locally appropriate.\"
Authors: I Dewa Kadek Wira Sanjaya, Kitty Currier, Hesti Handayani Widodo, Made Sudarsana
\n\"Pressure on the coast and the sea in Bali is increasing and increasingly complex. Various efforts in dealing with threats have also been carried out by various parties, whether organized or conducted sporadically. One of the threats in the Bali sea that almost every year becomes a problem is the outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS).\"
\n\"Desktop studies show that several regions in Bali, namely Pemuteran and Menjangan Island in Bali Barat National Park, have recorded large numbers of COTS every year. \"
\n\"During June and November, COTS are often found at these locations, although the actual number of COTS in these outbreaks is uncertain because the information recorded is based on the number of COTS removed opportunistically. At Menjangan Island, which has an area of around 17 hectares, more than 7.500 COTS were removed during one outbreak in 2017 and more than 700.000 COTS removed on 1997 in Bali Barat National Park, and in Pemuteran, more than 100 individuals were found at one dive site. It seems that COTS can often be found in these two locations at any time. COTS outbreak prevention efforts at these locations have been carried out since monitoring for outbreaks began in 1996.\"
\n\"COTS are removed manually by snorkelers or divers using a steel hook and then put into a net bag and brought to the surface and buried near the beach. Alternatively, vinegar injection is used to kill the COTS. The COTS outbreak phenomenon in Bali (Pemuteran and Menjangan Island) continues to occur every year, so it is deemed necessary to coordinate all parties to address this threat, not only in the COTS outbreak locations but also in other locations so that local communities will be prepared if the need ever arises.\"
\n\"Therefore, the formation of a coordinated team to address this threat is important and proposed as a solution to monitor conditions in the field, coordinate response efforts, and prepare response teams at different locations as necessary. Another important consideration is how to allocate available resources to jointly prevent, reduce and overcome the threats that exist in each location and prevent the spread to other places.\"
European carp in Australian waterways: lessons for COTS integrated pest management
\nAuthors: Lucy Carter, Aditi Mankad, Matt Curnock
\n\"The European or common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., is considered a major threat to the sustainability of Australian freshwater systems. The Australian government’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) has been tasked with determining the economic, social and ecological feasibility of releasing Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 under the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP). \"
\n\"Previous research on stakeholder perspectives has focussed on the opinions of experts or peak body representatives. Under social science research commissioned by the NCCP, the CSIRO sought to gather insights from individuals living in situ to a potential release or clean-up site. Our qualitative analysis reports specifically on the issues faced by rural and regional communities who rely on local social networks and institutions for their livelihoods and wellbeing. The risk perspectives of these communities to a virus release reveal a sophisticated understanding of both ecological complexity and experience of current and past institutional failings. \"
\n\"Their findings indicate that public trust in the governance of the control program, how the problem is defined and communicated and the quality of engagement with local communities were key issues of significance. They suggest that these considerations may also be of relevance to the roll-out of a COTS control program. Their findings reflect a) the value of engaging closely with local communities and b) efforts to build trust and engage meaningfully are two important drivers for garnering local support for the release of a biological agent. Engagement methods which respect and value the uniqueness of individual communities will serve decision-makers well.\"
site with implications towards outbreak prediction and suppression
\nAuthor: Eric Fisher
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a coral predator and large populations on individual coral reefs ultimately reduce hard coral cover to low levels. At tourism sites in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, high levels of coral cover are maximised through various efforts to improve customer appreciation of a world heritage area but also participate in building a coral reef resilience network. Ongoing COTS control programs are an example of one initiative tourism operators utilise to preserve and protect live coral cover. Cairns tourism Operator Reef Magic Cruises has a site at the north west aspect of Moore Reef and extensive, reef health monitoring surveys around this site revealed increasing COTS abundance in 2009. A multi-shot injection programme was conducted between 2010 and 2012 which removed 650 Adults and 2,060 juvenile COTS from this site. This programme identified key habitat areas that experience repeatable high recruitment rates. In 2014 the programme was refined to focus on locating and collecting juvenile COTS using belt transects. From 2014 too present, 11,049 juvenile COTS between 5 and 150mm in size have been removed. This has also provided quantifiable information on juvenile densities, ontogenetic shifts in coral diet and size structure of juvenile population over time. Sampling designs that focus on juvenile COTS abundance combined with other early detection methods could be incorporated into an early warning system to predict future outbreaks in the initiation region of the Great Barrier Reef. This
\nlong term juvenile research programme provides information on juvenile COTS ecology that may be useful to innovative programmes involved with suppression of future outbreaks.\"
Author: Scott Cummins
\n\"What are COTS actually thinking? To help answer this question, it is critical to look deep in into the neural system of the animal. The starfish neural system has no central ‘brain’, yet comprises of a circumoral ring linked to radial nerve cords that together coordinate movement, growth, regeneration, reproduction, defence, olfaction and more. Over the past five years, we have investigated the COTS radial nerve cords to establish new knowledge into their make-up at the anatomical and molecular levels. The author described some of the major findings (published and unpublished), inclusive of the identification of unique neural structures and neurohormones
\nthat provide a framework for establishing COTS neuroscience approaches and manipulating COTS behaviour.\"
Author: Bethan Lang
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris.; COTS) and climate change are two of the most prominent threats to the Great Barrier Reef, however there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding how COTS may fare in a warmer ocean. Some studies have demonstrated that the immature stages of COTS are sensitive to warming, potentially a result of the relatively stable thermal environment they experience in the tropics. Adult COTS may also be highly thermosensitive as a result of the high energetic demands associated with reproduction, as observed in other echinoderm species. Over the coming months I will be conducting laboratory-based experiments in order to answer questions regarding the thermal tolerance and sensitivity of COTS. I will investigate how COTS respond to warming in terms of locomotion, neuromuscular coordination, metabolic rate and survival. I will also conduct acute thermal challenge experiments in order to establish the temperature-induced aerobic scope and also the metabolic enzyme activity, with the aim of
\ndetermining the reliance on aerobic vs. anaerobic metabolism at different temperature points. This study will enable us to better predict how future climate change will affect populations of COTS, and their effects on corals and reef ecosystems.\"
Author: David Westcott
\n\"The IPM COTS Control Program (IPM CCP) has evolved dramatically since 2013. Moving into the next outbreak cycle, however, it will need to evolve even more. The recent evolution of COTS control has been driven by a shift to strategic decision making focused on where and when to invest resources to best achieve management objectives. This shift has placed a premium on up-to-date and reliable monitoring of CoTS density and distribution. The importance, and the required scope, of monitoring will only increase in the future as the IPM CCP evolves to meet the challenges of the next outbreak cycle. In this talk I review monitoring and surveillance in the IPM CCP and consider how the role of monitoring, and the monitoring needs themselves, will change moving forward. I outline monitoring strategies that underpin our capacity to effectively manage CoTS into the future and consider their implications for the IPM CCP.\"
Author: Mike Emslie
\n\"The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is under increasing pressure from a range of natural and anthropogenic pressures. The Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) of the Australian Institute of Marine Science has been monitoring of the status and trends of coral reef communities for over three decades. This represents a vast repository of ecosystem-scale knowledge such as the composition and condition of benthic and reef fish assemblages, counts of adult COTS and processes such as coral recovery. LTMP data has shown that hard coral cover on the GBR has been in long-term decline, and that COTS are one of the top three natural disturbances to have
\ncontributed to this decline. Recent analyses show that while the climate driven disturbances of mass coral bleaching and cyclones have increased in spatial scale and frequency in recent years, the probability of a reef being impacted by COTS has remained constant throughout the 35-year span of LTMP data. However, the cumulative nature of disturbances has continued to cause declines in hard coral cover and shifts in coral assemblage structure across much of the GBR, which have flow on effects on other reef associated organisms, like reef fishes. LTMP data on reef fish dynamics has revealed that COTS have a lesser short-term effect on reef fish assemblages than storms and multiple concurrent disturbances, however they may exhibit lagged responses as dead coral skeletons slowly erode. Much of the data collected by LTMP are highly relevant for the understanding of the COTS phenomenon and to support adaptive management action. Information on reef fish assemblages has enabled investigations into the role of predatory fishes in controlling COTS numbers, and preliminary results reveal variable evidence for any top-down control among different groups of reef fishes on COTS populations. Recently, there has been a significant investment in manual COTS culling to preserve coral assemblages on high value reefs. However, on many LTMP survey reefs in the central GBR, reef wide coral cover has continued to decline, despite COTS culling effort. This is likely attributable to impacts of other disturbances, notably mass coral bleaching, and the timing of culling commencement. LTMP data are highly relevant to inform future COTS management, especially for “suppress & contain” actions during the initiation phase of primary outbreaks by providing i) trends in COTS counts to complement other early warning surveillance and ii) coral cover recovery and composition data contextualised within the disturbance history of
\nindividual reefs.\"
on the Great Barrier Reef
\nAuthor: Audrey Schlaff, Patricia Menéndez, Michael Hall, Michelle Heupel, Thomas Armstrong
\n, Cherie Motti
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks have been identified as a major cause of coral cover loss on the GBR since detailed observation records began three decades ago. The endangered giant triton snail, Charonia tritonis, is a natural predator of adult COTS. Although aquarium and field observations indicate the intensity of direct predation is inadequate to significantly mediate outbreaks, the mere presence of C. tritonis can elicit a chemically-induced sensory behavioural response – effectively a ‘landscape of fear’ - which may help to suppress COTS populations when in non-outbreak status. While there is increasing knowledge of the sensory biology of both species, little is known about how giant triton snails move and occupy space on coral reefs making it difficult to determine their true zone of influence and thus their capacity to disrupt COTS behaviour. Passive
\nacoustic telemetry was used to examine short-term activity space and diel movement patterns of five individuals on the GBR. Results revealed localised movement and increased activity at night. Mean distance travelled by individuals during the day (1,078.58 m) was roughly half that observed at night (1,970.00 m) with an average cumulative distance of 3,050.83 m travelled over the 42-day study. Establishing short-term movement patterns of this natural COTS predator within a coral reef environment further supports its potential to mediate populations, i.e. through aggregation dispersal, and will inform future C. tritonis conservation and COTS management efforts.\"
Authors: Lone Hoj, Maria Byrne, David Westcott
\n\"Future integrated pest management strategies for COTS are likely to incorporate one or more biologically based control technologies such as semiochemicals, predator control, traditional biological control, and genetic biocontrol. As part of the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub project on implementation of the COTS research strategy, we have outlined the history and current use of these approaches in pest control worldwide, with special reference to their use in aquatic systems. We furthermore considered their potential role for COTS control on the Great Barrier Reef. In this analysis, we considered factors such as the scale of potential use, the need for repeated applications, reversibility, environmental risk, perception and regulatory risks, financial risk and critical knowledge gaps. On this basis, we made recommendations with respect to the potential role of these approaches in an integrated pest management strategy for COTS and estimated a minimum lead time until each approach can be application ready. Our analyses should be regarded as a starting point for a more rigorous process involving broad stakeholder engagement, multi-disciplinary expert groups to formally assess risks, and modelling of promising strategies to clarify their potential efficiencies and stop-go criteria for further development.\"
Authors: Maciej Maselko, Owain Edwards
\n\"The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is native in the Indo-Pacific region and is not harmful at low population densities. However, crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) population booms are responsible for approximately 42 percent of observed cover loss in the Great Barrier Reef during an irruption and their populations are expected to grow as ocean temperatures increase .\"
\n\"They propose to strategically release caged populations of transgenic male COTS for the purposes of biological control. Two options would be considered for biological control, both of which have been used effectively for landscape-wide control of insect pests. First, using the sterile male technique, male COTS would be caged at high density at locations where outbreaks are predicted to occur. Sperm release by these caged individuals carry a genetic system that renders them effectively sterile, and would compete with sperm from wild males for the fertilisation of eggs during spawning. Eggs fertilised by the SGI-carrying sperm would not develop, resulting in localised population suppression. Secondly, using a mating disruption approach, release COTS could also be engineered to release high levels of aggregation or alarm pheromone, and be strategically placed to disrupt local mating efficiencies.\"
Authors: Karlo Hock, Yves-Marie Bozec, Mary Bonin, Scott A Condie, David Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
\n\"Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a vast coral reef ecosystem consisting of 3800+ individual reefs. Ocean currents connect populations of coral and other benthic organisms by dispersing their larvae among the reefs. Connectivity is also a major driver of regional dynamics for coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), whose periodic population explosions have had devastating impacts on the health of the GBR. While large populations of adult starfish can devastate the coral community on a reef, dispersal of starfish larvae to other reefs leads to large-scale outbreak events and subsequent regional declines in coral cover. Efforts to control these outbreaks are exacerbated by the spatial scale of the GBR, and warrant targeted allocation of management resources at strategic locations. Here, we first used the oceanographic models to simulate the dispersal of both COTS and coral larvae among the reefs and obtain GBR-wide connectivity patterns. We then analysed these connectivity patterns in order to highlight reefs that will be more likely to either experience larval influx or spread the larvae to other reefs in the region. To test the capability of the connectivity models to capture the demographic processes on the GBR, we validated the model outputs against COTS field surveys, and found that the predictions of COTS larval connectivity
\ncorrespond to reported adult abundances on reefs. We then used these outputs to define connectivity profiles of reefs that can then be used as a basis for designing regional control and management strategies. Importantly, in addition to identifying reefs important for COTS connectivity, this approach also identified potential sources of coral larvae that can support regional recovery processes, and do so consistently over multiple spawning seasons. Protecting these regionally important source reefs may be critical to help with the recovery of reefs that have not
\nonly already been damaged by COTS outbreaks, but also affected by other disturbances such as coral bleaching.\"
Authors: Sam Matthews, Mary C. Bonin, Tristan Simpson, Daniel Schultz, Jo Baker, Anya Jaeckli
\n, Darren Cameron
\n\"The COTS Control Program collects a vast array of ecological observations as well as program management data. While the volume and disparate nature of many datasets provides technical problems to overcome, improving the processes and data infrastructure to efficiently collect, quality check, store, analyse and visualise these data provides deep insight into the impact and management of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef. In recent years, the Marine Park Authority has made significant progress in improving the data management and analytical platforms we use to ensure high quality data is available to track the progression of COTS outbreaks, measure progress in pest management, and support our adaptive management of the COTS Control Program. Here we present the lifecycle of data in the COTS Control Program on the Great Barrier Reef. Observation
\ndata, including manta tow surveillance, culling and reef health surveys are collected on water by professionally trained vessel crews using custom built apps. These apps have been designed to include quality checks that reduce error rates, and they deliver data directly into the Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef Database.\"
\n\"Once data is received from vessel crews, further quality checks are conducted and quality assurance reports are then delivered back to our contractors providing feedback on data collection and logistical considerations. Once checked, the data is synthesised and visualised in our analytics platform, the COTS Dashboard, providing an interactive interface to monitor the progress of the control program in achieving pest management goals on each reef and cull site being actioned, while also providing broader situational awareness of COTS outbreaks across the entire Marine Park. This analytics platform is the first of its kind for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, allowing COTS management actions to be monitored, evaluated and improved upon in near real
\ntime. Adherence to best practice data management principles and ongoing investment in analytical capabilities provides provide a platform to manage the COTS Control Program in a data-driven and adaptive fashion.\"
Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns
\nhttps://www.rrrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-International-COTS-Control-Forum-Program-DIGITAL.pdf
Though this community is very focused in Machine Learning let's try to enlarge our knowledge about how to Control COTS (Crown-of-Thorns Starfish). I was in doubt if I publish this topic or not. However, it's still Data Science. Additionaly COTS detection is the object of this Competition. Why to detect them if no Control will be implemented. So, Control and Detection are deeply linked.
\nAuthor: Dan Gladish
\n\"While knowledge about the preferred habitat for crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) has increased in recent times, there is still high uncertainty in understanding the environmental factors and conditions of COTS habitat and abundance. Some efforts have focused on statistical models, accounting for random effects. In this work, They present efforts in linking different environmental factors to COTS through generalized linear mixed modelling. In particular, we analyse the effects of bleaching and coral cover in explaining the habitat of COTS. Their focus is on data at the site and reef scales during a recent bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef. This analysis is funded by NESP TWQ Hub.\"
Author: Brett Kettle, Andy Steven, Joshua Riddell, Brano Kusy,
\n\"Manta towing (tow-boarding) was first used for crown-of-thorns starfish management 51 years ago, and with few modifications remains the staple for many reef monitoring initiatives. A modernisation program would seek to improve speed and depth range, apply geolocations to individual observations, adopt artificial intelligence / machine learning (AIML) to reduce latency in data analysis, archive vision for repurposing datasets to address future research questions, increase survey repeatability, and reduce personnel requirements. Vertigo3 achieves these objectives in a suitcase-sized ‘towed glider’, 650mm in wingspan and weighing 5kg. Vertigo3’s design philosophy focusses on overcoming four physical constraints: towing the robotic device behind a small boat provides the energy required to overcome the density of the medium and to combat tidal velocities; the absence of GPS signals or other reef-wide positioning systems is mitigated by calculating offsets from the vessel’s GPS, and by on-board sensors that allow image rectification and geo-referencing; underwater bandwidth limits are overcome by a reinforced fibre optic tow cable that provides gigabit bandwidth so that the surface operator sees live streaming vision with real-time AIML augmentation; and operations in topographically complex environments are facilitated by a strategy of small size and mass, authoritative 3-axis flight controls and fast fusion of terrain-following sensors. In its current incarnation Vertigo3 operates comfortably to 7kts and 15m depth, capturing 500,000 5MP images per day, with real-time ML models operating at 10 frames per second. The device autopilots with minimal inputs from the vessel coxswain, allowing for single-handed operations. AIML object detection skills have been demonstrated for temperate starfish, and seabed classification methods are currently being trialled for seagrass identification and density mapping. Vertigo3 appears amenable to adaptation for crown-of-thorns starfish management,
\nwith geolocation, immediacy of starfish detection, AIML and larger/faster survey footprints potentially offering opportunities to refine management field methods and productivity. Vertigo3 is intended to become an open\u0002sourced tool for marine biophysical surveys, and its developers are currently seeking collaborations to build new use cases.\"
Author: Matthew Dunbabin
\n\"Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our ability to perform robust classification and segmentation of many different natural scenes to varying degrees of certainty (or uncertainty). These algorithms, when trained appropriately and optimised, can be run on-board current, low-power hardware for in-field real-time predictions that can be used for COTS control and surveillance. This presentation will provide an overview of how Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) has been used for real-time COTS detection. It will describe the process used to train the DNNs and COTS tracking algorithms, as well as provide insights into the challenges and performance
\nresults for field deployment. It will conclude by presenting our latest approaches to AI-enabled robotic systems for broader scale automated surveillance and real-time in-field decision systems for reef-based conservation activities.\"
Authors: Scott A. Condie, Russ C. Babcock, Cameron S. Fletcher, Éva E. Plagányi, David A. Westcott
\n\"Regular outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have combined with coral bleaching and tropical cyclones to severely deplete coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and this deterioration is likely to accelerate under the influence of climate change. Optimising COTS control strategies within such a complex system requires a systems-modelling approach. The Coral Community Network (CoCoNet) model represents major coral groups and age-structured COTS populations on more than 3750 reefs connected through ocean larval dispersal. It includes realistic environmental forcing (tropical cyclones, floods, and coral bleaching) and has been validated in terms of historical coral cover and the outbreak and propagation of COTS through the GBR network. Results suggest that recently developed control methods combined with existing vessel capacity could potentially reduce COTS populations below the ecological threshold (for net coral growth) on
\nmost GBR reefs. However, this will be achieved gradually over the next two decades and maintaining control capacity throughout the COTS boom-bust cycle will be critical to the success of the strategy.\"
Authors: Éva E. Plagányi, Jacob Rogers, Russ C. Babcock, Scott A. Condie, Laura Blamey,
\nCameron S. Fletcher, David A. Westcott
\n\"Extensive control programs on the GBR involve manual culling of COTS in the field, and research is needed to inform these management efforts. Models of Intermediate Complexity for Ecosystem assessments (MICE have been used to describe the trophic interactions between juvenile and adult COTS, and two groups of coral (fast- and slow-growing corals). By fitting to available data, the reef-scale models are able to quantify the outcomes for coral of different abundances of COTS as well as evaluate the efficacy of alternative levels and strategies for culling COTS. This approach has been used to underpin estimates of ecological thresholds, and how these vary with varying coral
\ncover. Further model refinements are incorporating COTS reproductive features, movement behaviour, predators and habitat variables to further inform on optimal methods for controlling COTS at selected reefs.\"
Authors: David Westcott, Cameron Fletcher, Scott Condie, Dan Gladish, Mary Bonin, Sheriden Morris
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a significant contributor to hard coral loss throughout the Indo-Pacific Region. Since the 1960s, on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and across the Indo-Pacific Region, 10s of millions of dollars have been spent on COTS control. Despite this significant investment the general consensus has been that control has had only limited success. During the current outbreak on the GBR a new approach to manual control has been implemented with the introduction of a coordinated control program and a strategic approach to control based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. \"
\n\"The IPM Program identifies program objectives and the key tasks that must performed, it optimises how these are achieved, and then applies a structured approach to decision making at each of the relevant scales: the site, the individual reef, the region and the GBR as a whole. This structured approach to decision making integrates an understanding of the processes underpinning COTS population dynamics, fleet and dive operations logistics and control program objectives across these scales.\"
\nIn this presentation they used data from the IPM Program’s operations to address the following four questions:
\n1) How effective is the program in achieving COTS control at the scale of the site, the individual reef and the region?
\n2) How reliable are the decision criteria used to guide decision making?
\n3) What does this tell us about the potential of the current program for responding to the next outbreak?
\n\"Their results indicated that the program is far more effective than was initially anticipated and suggest that a modestly funded program, operating under our IPM principles, could significantly modify the dynamics of the next COTS outbreak on the GBR.\"
Authors: Darren Cameron, Roger Beeden, Jo Baker, Mary Bonin, Dylan Horne, Anya Jaeckli,
\nSam Matthews, Tristan Simpson, Daniel Schultz, David Williamson,
\n\"The Reef 2050 Plan identifies crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks as a significant threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. It calls on us to work collaboratively across government, research and industry bodies to reduce the impact of COTS in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. \"
\n\"These outbreaks compound the damage caused by tropical cyclones and coral bleaching events, and mitigating their impact is one of the most scalable and feasible on-ground management interventions currently available to enhance Reef resilience and recovery in the face of climate change.
\n\"The COTS Control Program is delivered as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s management strategy to address the COTS threat. The Program’s manual in-water control component is delivered through a strategic partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC).\"
\n\" Since its inception, the COTS Control Program has been carried out in collaboration with tourism industry and research partners to ensure the best available science and local knowledge are incorporated into on-ground action. \"
\n\"The goal of the COTS Control Program is to protect coral by culling starfish down to ecologically sustainable levels that promote coral growth and recovery. They are not attempting to stop the outbreaks or eradicate the starfish; these are not feasible goals given the limitations of current control methods.\"
\n\" The Program strategically focuses its resources on individual reefs of high ecological and economic value across the Marine Park using dedicated vessels and trained crews. With the expansion of the program in 2018, they implemented an innovative new approach to pest management in collaboration with our research partners in the National Environmental Science Program. \"
\n\"Crews on board the fleet of vessels are now trained to use targeted surveillance, intensive culling, and reef health surveys to achieve sustainable starfish numbers that promote coral growth and recovery. To support this new approach, the Marine Park Authority has developed data capture apps and visualisation tools to support adaptive and data-driven decision making. \"
\n\"The expanded COTS Control Program is protecting coral from COTS impacts on a network of >100 high value reefs across the Marine Park. The COTS Control Program has undergone significant improvement since its inception, and we strive to maintain this momentum, delivering world-leading, science-based, adaptive management of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef looking forward to 2050.\"
Authors: Jason Doyle, Sven Uthicke
\n\"Monitoring of COTS densities and consequently defining outbreaks is typically done via manta tow or RHIS survey. COTS densities that exceed pre-defined outbreak thresholds have most likely been developing well before the outbreak was identified, thus the importance of pre-outbreak detection is crucial to implementing appropriate management strategies. We present an environmental DNA approach to early detection of COTS pre-outbreak populations.\"
\n\"In August 2018, we conducted an eDNA sampling trip from three reefs on the Great Barrier Reef along a COTS density gradient. To detect post-settlement individuals, replicate (> 40 per reef) 2.5L surface water samples were collected, filtered and preserved for DNA extraction. DNA extracts were then analysed via digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). We demonstrated that there is a relationship with both mtDNA copy numbers and overall number of positive samples to COTS densities. Follow up sampling at two of the three reefs in May 2019 revealed a shift in the COTS eDNA detections corresponding to a southward migration of the current outbreak.\"
\n\"By comparing data to in-water field surveys, we demonstrated that COTS densities below those classified as ‘outbreak levels’ can be detected using eDNA. We are currently fine tuning the method by simplifying workflow, testing for best sampling times and locations, testing automated samplers and testing for sample numbers needed.\"
Authors: David Williamson, Joanne Baker, Roger Beeden, Darren Cameron, Dylan Horne, Anya Jaeckli, Sam Matthews, Daniel Schultz, Mary Bonin
\n\"Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) periodically occur on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and typically result in broad-scale declines in hard coral cover and shifts in benthic community structure. \"
\n\"On the Great Barrier Reef, COTS are a major driver of systemic coral decline and efforts to mitigate their impact have been amplified in recent years through an expanded COTS Control Program. The COTS Control Program employs a data-driven strategic approach to decide where, when and how to undertake starfish management across the expanse of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.\"
\n\"These decisions are underpinned by several innovative tools designed to provide decision-makers (i.e. Marine Park managers and control vessel crews) with the information required to allocate program resources efficiently and effectively. The Program is being adaptively managed in close partnership with science and industry partners, and it is currently delivered through a fleet of five vessels with professional crews trained to undertake COTS surveillance, culling and reef health surveys.\"
\n\"This talk will provide an overview of our strategic approach to vessel allocation across Marine Park management regions, reef prioritisation within regions, and rank for action amongst prioritised reefs. They will provide insight into the successes and challenges they have faced along the way, highlighting key knowledge gaps and areas for scientific innovation from a management perspective.\"
\n\"The Marine Park Authority is committed to working collaboratively with their science, industry and stakeholder partners to apply the best available knowledge and experience to understand and effectively manage COTS populations and deliver real-world benefits for the health of the ecosystem and for the people that utilise it.\"
Authors: Jack Strickland, Alejandro Usobiaga, Enrique Mosquera
\n\"Pacific Marine Group (PMG) is working for GBRMPA to control the COTS population on high value reefs in the Marine Park Townsville to Mackay area, between Townsville and the Whitsundays (latitudes -18.9’ S and -21.1’ S). As a COTS control operator, PMG’s aim is to reduce COTS densities to allow for coral growth to outpace COTS feeding capacities as determined by CSIRO , as well as undertaking reef Surveillance, Reef Health Impact Surveys and supporting research activities.\"
\n\"In 18 months of ongoing operations PMG have visited three reefs. Two of which were categorized to be in ‘Severe Outbreak’ from the COTS/Tow observed on the first visit with since over 52,000 COTS removed.\"
\n\"According to the most recent Surveillance both reefs are categorized as ‘No Outbreak’ status.
\nTo date we have spent over 300 operational days and more than 7,000 dive hours on the reefs and will share PMG learnings and how the activities have evolved since the early trips to date, covering an insight into the successes, challenges, limitations and constraints faced along the way from the operator’s perspective.\"
\n\"They aim to provide an insight view of a COTS control dive operation with a comprehensive overview on all the field aspects including; decision making processes, dive planning and tactics, equipment, environmental considerations, safety aspects, helpful tools and resources.\"
\n\"Finally, whilst notable impact has been made over the past 18months on the COTS densities on two reefs, PMG acknowledges that COTS management is still an ongoing operation far from completion and our efforts so far are to be replicated across the 28 Priority Reefs assigned to PMG’s working area. They are optimistic regarding the future of our culling operations but will strive to demonstrate COTS management is a dynamic operation requiring a close working relationship between all stakeholders from operators, scientific community and policy makers.\"
Authors: Dan Godoy, Dave Paton, Michael Civiello, Tom Taylor-Latt.
\n\"As part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) control program, Blue Planet Marine (BPM) has been engaged to undertake COTS Control and research activities within several regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Within the prescribed scope of work, BPM have undertaken operations across a vast expanse of the GBRMP, extending from the Lockhart River in the Far North region down to the Bunker Group at the southern extremity of the Marine Park.\"
\n\"Since operations commenced in November 2018, BPM have spent 355 days at sea undertaking surveillance, culling, reef health surveys, and providing COTS research support. Overall, BPM have completed more than 7,800 surveillance manta tows extending over 1,650 km across 102 ecologically and economically important priority target reefs.\"
\n\"In addition, BPM have established more than 600 permanent Reef Health and Impact Survey (RHIS) sites and controlled over 13,000 COTS. With the support of the GBRMPA COT Management Team, these significant achievements by our dedicated team has resulted in the collection and provision of highly valuable coral cover and health indices, while substantially reducing the impact of COTS in support of the GBRMPA Reef Blueprint for Resilience initiative.\"
\n\"Ultimately, being at the interface between sound management principals developed under the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Integrated Pest Management Program and the utilisation of operational methodologies to achieve those established management targets, BPM are delighted to share a unique insight through our experiences, challenges and successes.\"
Author: Rickard Abom
\n\"The Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Trust Partnership (RTP) crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) Control Program aims to reduce coral damaged caused by COTS in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) is partnering with the Reef & Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to deliver this program, in collaboration with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research activities delivered through the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Tropical Water Quality (TWQ) Hub.
\nDuring the reporting period (1 July to 31 December 2020), the three INLOC COTS control vessels were operating – MV Hero, MV Tura and MV Venus II – in coordinated surveillance, reef health impact surveys (RHIS) and culling activities on target reefs across an area of the GBR between Lizard Island and Airlie Beach. \"
\n\"The vessel crew also provide research support to NESP and other research programs. In summary:
\n• \"The three INLOC vessels conducted 32 voyages of generally 10-days each but varying between 5 and 19 days due to weather and logistics. \"
\n• \"These voyages signify 331 days of COTS control activities in the GBR Marine Park with a total of 3,665 hours of dive time conducting surveillance, RHIS and culling activities over 67 different reefs (including 3 non-priority reefs). \"
\n• \"A total of 13,841 COTS were culled from 3,090 ha of the GBR Marine Park. These reefs represent 64 of the 123 priority reefs in the Lizard Island to Airlie Beach region allocated to 2020/2021 workplan.\"
\n•\" Their teams provided 122 hours of research support through the NESP TWQ Hub and other research programs, contributing to closing the IPM loop between science and impact for the COTS Control Program.\"
starfish for the last 100 years; additional insights into secondary outbreaks
\nAuthor: Nina Yasuda
\n\"The distribution and population outbreak records of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris, in Japan from 1912 to 2015 was reviewed and analyzed. The literature survey suggests that COTS distribution has been extending northwards since 1945 from Amami Ohshima (its previous northernmost distribution) to Miyake Island and Goto Island.\"
\n\"Genetic homogeneity within Japanese COTS populations indicates that larval dispersal has likely caused this poleward migration. Water temperatures have significantly increased in the temperate area of Japan, implying that climate change is partly responsible for this poleward migration. More frequent and intense population outbreaks in temperate areas were also observed, possibly in relation to increased water temperatures and successive larval dispersal from the south. Overall, complex and persistent patterns were observed fortwo major successive population outbreaks in Japan: from 1969 to 1991 and from 1995 to now. \"
\n\"The evidence suggests that the western Okinawa populations are the most likely origin for secondary outbreaks within Japan. The Amami population is also likely to be an important source for outbreaks intemperate regions. However, no records of intensive population outbreaks were found until 2015 for least in two regions: Ogasawara and the Ohsumi Islands. Ogasawara is located approximately 1,000 km south of the Kuroshio Current, so infestation via larval dispersal from other populations is more limited than in other Kuroshio regions. The Ohsumi Islands are, however, located in the middle of the Kuroshio Current, implying that insufficient corals are available for the growth of COTS or that unknown environment factors suppress recruitment and juvenile survival.\"
Authors: Ken Okaji, Kei Ogasawara, Eiji Yamakawa, Makoto Kitamura, Naoki Kumagai, Nobuyuki Nakatomi, Shuichi Yamamoto, Ryota Nakajima, Koichi Kinjo, Masako Nakamura, Nina Yasuda,
\n\"Repeated outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) have devastated Okinawa’s coral communities during the past five decades. For identifying the important causal factors of outbreaks and developing a new management policy, Okinawa Prefectural Government implemented its first ever comprehensive research program on this species between 2012 and 2018.\"
\n\"The program involved water quality observation, larval nutrition, larval dispersal simulation, and juvenile ecology. The results of the program suggested the following: 1) food availability for COTS larvae quickly increases to the level at which larval growth nd survival is supported after heavy rainfall; 2) in addition to phytoplankton, COTS larvae are able to utilize particulate organic matter such as detritus and coral mucus as supplemental food sources; 3) COTS larval dispersion leading to successful recruitment is likely a local-scale event; 4) the prediction of COTS outbreaks by monitoring the density of alga-eating juveniles is considered to be feasible. \"
\n\"On the basis of these results, the Okinawa Prefectural Government proposes water quality improvement in the coastal catchment areas as a long-term target as well as continued physical removal of COTS in limited areas for short-term management.\"
Authors: Johanna Johnson, David Welch, Peter Whitelaw, Christina Shaw, Pascal Dumas,
\n, Rocky Kaku, Owen Drew, Kehana Andrew
\n\"Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands with the majority of the population living in coastal areas based on a subsistence lifestyle that relies on healthy coral reef ecosystems for sustainable fisheries, small-scale livelihoods and reef tourism. \"
\n\"Vanuatu has experienced crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks numerous times, and previous COTS outbreaks documented in 2006, 2008 and 2014 caused significant reef habitat declines. There is currently an active outbreak of COTS in Vanuatu that has been observed on fringing reefs around the main island of Efate and nearby islands of Lelepa, Moso, Ifira and Hideaway, areas of high to very high coral cover. There are also reports of COTS on fringing reefs around islands to the north – Nguna, Pele, Espiritu Santo – as well as islands in the south of the country – Tanna.\"
\n\"Due to limited resources and high accessibility of fringing reefs, COTS control is haphazard through a voluntary program, and only some data (e.g. number of COTS culled) are documented using an online reporting system. Marine tourism operators and community groups are leading the initiative using injector kits to cull COTS, and remote villages without kits are removing COTS manually and burning or burying them. \"
\n\"Critically, a network of committed marine stakeholders are reporting sightings of COTS in high densities and responding accordingly with collective culling efforts. Communities have also used a ‘bounty’ system as incentive to remove COTS, with Pele Island addressing a recent outbreak and protecting their high-value eco-tourism reefs.\"
\n\" An intensive 6-months of control in 2020 removed over 5,600 COTS and identified hotspot areas around Pango Peninsula and in Mele Bay. Observations that COTS outbreaks are becoming more frequent is of great concern to the tourism and fishing sectors, and future successful COTS control will require a more strategic and coordinated approach that is locally appropriate.\"
Authors: I Dewa Kadek Wira Sanjaya, Kitty Currier, Hesti Handayani Widodo, Made Sudarsana
\n\"Pressure on the coast and the sea in Bali is increasing and increasingly complex. Various efforts in dealing with threats have also been carried out by various parties, whether organized or conducted sporadically. One of the threats in the Bali sea that almost every year becomes a problem is the outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS).\"
\n\"Desktop studies show that several regions in Bali, namely Pemuteran and Menjangan Island in Bali Barat National Park, have recorded large numbers of COTS every year. \"
\n\"During June and November, COTS are often found at these locations, although the actual number of COTS in these outbreaks is uncertain because the information recorded is based on the number of COTS removed opportunistically. At Menjangan Island, which has an area of around 17 hectares, more than 7.500 COTS were removed during one outbreak in 2017 and more than 700.000 COTS removed on 1997 in Bali Barat National Park, and in Pemuteran, more than 100 individuals were found at one dive site. It seems that COTS can often be found in these two locations at any time. COTS outbreak prevention efforts at these locations have been carried out since monitoring for outbreaks began in 1996.\"
\n\"COTS are removed manually by snorkelers or divers using a steel hook and then put into a net bag and brought to the surface and buried near the beach. Alternatively, vinegar injection is used to kill the COTS. The COTS outbreak phenomenon in Bali (Pemuteran and Menjangan Island) continues to occur every year, so it is deemed necessary to coordinate all parties to address this threat, not only in the COTS outbreak locations but also in other locations so that local communities will be prepared if the need ever arises.\"
\n\"Therefore, the formation of a coordinated team to address this threat is important and proposed as a solution to monitor conditions in the field, coordinate response efforts, and prepare response teams at different locations as necessary. Another important consideration is how to allocate available resources to jointly prevent, reduce and overcome the threats that exist in each location and prevent the spread to other places.\"
European carp in Australian waterways: lessons for COTS integrated pest management
\nAuthors: Lucy Carter, Aditi Mankad, Matt Curnock
\n\"The European or common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., is considered a major threat to the sustainability of Australian freshwater systems. The Australian government’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) has been tasked with determining the economic, social and ecological feasibility of releasing Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 under the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP). \"
\n\"Previous research on stakeholder perspectives has focussed on the opinions of experts or peak body representatives. Under social science research commissioned by the NCCP, the CSIRO sought to gather insights from individuals living in situ to a potential release or clean-up site. Our qualitative analysis reports specifically on the issues faced by rural and regional communities who rely on local social networks and institutions for their livelihoods and wellbeing. The risk perspectives of these communities to a virus release reveal a sophisticated understanding of both ecological complexity and experience of current and past institutional failings. \"
\n\"Their findings indicate that public trust in the governance of the control program, how the problem is defined and communicated and the quality of engagement with local communities were key issues of significance. They suggest that these considerations may also be of relevance to the roll-out of a COTS control program. Their findings reflect a) the value of engaging closely with local communities and b) efforts to build trust and engage meaningfully are two important drivers for garnering local support for the release of a biological agent. Engagement methods which respect and value the uniqueness of individual communities will serve decision-makers well.\"
site with implications towards outbreak prediction and suppression
\nAuthor: Eric Fisher
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a coral predator and large populations on individual coral reefs ultimately reduce hard coral cover to low levels. At tourism sites in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, high levels of coral cover are maximised through various efforts to improve customer appreciation of a world heritage area but also participate in building a coral reef resilience network. Ongoing COTS control programs are an example of one initiative tourism operators utilise to preserve and protect live coral cover. Cairns tourism Operator Reef Magic Cruises has a site at the north west aspect of Moore Reef and extensive, reef health monitoring surveys around this site revealed increasing COTS abundance in 2009. A multi-shot injection programme was conducted between 2010 and 2012 which removed 650 Adults and 2,060 juvenile COTS from this site. This programme identified key habitat areas that experience repeatable high recruitment rates. In 2014 the programme was refined to focus on locating and collecting juvenile COTS using belt transects. From 2014 too present, 11,049 juvenile COTS between 5 and 150mm in size have been removed. This has also provided quantifiable information on juvenile densities, ontogenetic shifts in coral diet and size structure of juvenile population over time. Sampling designs that focus on juvenile COTS abundance combined with other early detection methods could be incorporated into an early warning system to predict future outbreaks in the initiation region of the Great Barrier Reef. This
\nlong term juvenile research programme provides information on juvenile COTS ecology that may be useful to innovative programmes involved with suppression of future outbreaks.\"
Author: Scott Cummins
\n\"What are COTS actually thinking? To help answer this question, it is critical to look deep in into the neural system of the animal. The starfish neural system has no central ‘brain’, yet comprises of a circumoral ring linked to radial nerve cords that together coordinate movement, growth, regeneration, reproduction, defence, olfaction and more. Over the past five years, we have investigated the COTS radial nerve cords to establish new knowledge into their make-up at the anatomical and molecular levels. The author described some of the major findings (published and unpublished), inclusive of the identification of unique neural structures and neurohormones
\nthat provide a framework for establishing COTS neuroscience approaches and manipulating COTS behaviour.\"
Author: Bethan Lang
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris.; COTS) and climate change are two of the most prominent threats to the Great Barrier Reef, however there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding how COTS may fare in a warmer ocean. Some studies have demonstrated that the immature stages of COTS are sensitive to warming, potentially a result of the relatively stable thermal environment they experience in the tropics. Adult COTS may also be highly thermosensitive as a result of the high energetic demands associated with reproduction, as observed in other echinoderm species. Over the coming months I will be conducting laboratory-based experiments in order to answer questions regarding the thermal tolerance and sensitivity of COTS. I will investigate how COTS respond to warming in terms of locomotion, neuromuscular coordination, metabolic rate and survival. I will also conduct acute thermal challenge experiments in order to establish the temperature-induced aerobic scope and also the metabolic enzyme activity, with the aim of
\ndetermining the reliance on aerobic vs. anaerobic metabolism at different temperature points. This study will enable us to better predict how future climate change will affect populations of COTS, and their effects on corals and reef ecosystems.\"
Author: David Westcott
\n\"The IPM COTS Control Program (IPM CCP) has evolved dramatically since 2013. Moving into the next outbreak cycle, however, it will need to evolve even more. The recent evolution of COTS control has been driven by a shift to strategic decision making focused on where and when to invest resources to best achieve management objectives. This shift has placed a premium on up-to-date and reliable monitoring of CoTS density and distribution. The importance, and the required scope, of monitoring will only increase in the future as the IPM CCP evolves to meet the challenges of the next outbreak cycle. In this talk I review monitoring and surveillance in the IPM CCP and consider how the role of monitoring, and the monitoring needs themselves, will change moving forward. I outline monitoring strategies that underpin our capacity to effectively manage CoTS into the future and consider their implications for the IPM CCP.\"
Author: Mike Emslie
\n\"The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is under increasing pressure from a range of natural and anthropogenic pressures. The Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) of the Australian Institute of Marine Science has been monitoring of the status and trends of coral reef communities for over three decades. This represents a vast repository of ecosystem-scale knowledge such as the composition and condition of benthic and reef fish assemblages, counts of adult COTS and processes such as coral recovery. LTMP data has shown that hard coral cover on the GBR has been in long-term decline, and that COTS are one of the top three natural disturbances to have
\ncontributed to this decline. Recent analyses show that while the climate driven disturbances of mass coral bleaching and cyclones have increased in spatial scale and frequency in recent years, the probability of a reef being impacted by COTS has remained constant throughout the 35-year span of LTMP data. However, the cumulative nature of disturbances has continued to cause declines in hard coral cover and shifts in coral assemblage structure across much of the GBR, which have flow on effects on other reef associated organisms, like reef fishes. LTMP data on reef fish dynamics has revealed that COTS have a lesser short-term effect on reef fish assemblages than storms and multiple concurrent disturbances, however they may exhibit lagged responses as dead coral skeletons slowly erode. Much of the data collected by LTMP are highly relevant for the understanding of the COTS phenomenon and to support adaptive management action. Information on reef fish assemblages has enabled investigations into the role of predatory fishes in controlling COTS numbers, and preliminary results reveal variable evidence for any top-down control among different groups of reef fishes on COTS populations. Recently, there has been a significant investment in manual COTS culling to preserve coral assemblages on high value reefs. However, on many LTMP survey reefs in the central GBR, reef wide coral cover has continued to decline, despite COTS culling effort. This is likely attributable to impacts of other disturbances, notably mass coral bleaching, and the timing of culling commencement. LTMP data are highly relevant to inform future COTS management, especially for “suppress & contain” actions during the initiation phase of primary outbreaks by providing i) trends in COTS counts to complement other early warning surveillance and ii) coral cover recovery and composition data contextualised within the disturbance history of
\nindividual reefs.\"
on the Great Barrier Reef
\nAuthor: Audrey Schlaff, Patricia Menéndez, Michael Hall, Michelle Heupel, Thomas Armstrong
\n, Cherie Motti
\n\"Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks have been identified as a major cause of coral cover loss on the GBR since detailed observation records began three decades ago. The endangered giant triton snail, Charonia tritonis, is a natural predator of adult COTS. Although aquarium and field observations indicate the intensity of direct predation is inadequate to significantly mediate outbreaks, the mere presence of C. tritonis can elicit a chemically-induced sensory behavioural response – effectively a ‘landscape of fear’ - which may help to suppress COTS populations when in non-outbreak status. While there is increasing knowledge of the sensory biology of both species, little is known about how giant triton snails move and occupy space on coral reefs making it difficult to determine their true zone of influence and thus their capacity to disrupt COTS behaviour. Passive
\nacoustic telemetry was used to examine short-term activity space and diel movement patterns of five individuals on the GBR. Results revealed localised movement and increased activity at night. Mean distance travelled by individuals during the day (1,078.58 m) was roughly half that observed at night (1,970.00 m) with an average cumulative distance of 3,050.83 m travelled over the 42-day study. Establishing short-term movement patterns of this natural COTS predator within a coral reef environment further supports its potential to mediate populations, i.e. through aggregation dispersal, and will inform future C. tritonis conservation and COTS management efforts.\"
Authors: Lone Hoj, Maria Byrne, David Westcott
\n\"Future integrated pest management strategies for COTS are likely to incorporate one or more biologically based control technologies such as semiochemicals, predator control, traditional biological control, and genetic biocontrol. As part of the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub project on implementation of the COTS research strategy, we have outlined the history and current use of these approaches in pest control worldwide, with special reference to their use in aquatic systems. We furthermore considered their potential role for COTS control on the Great Barrier Reef. In this analysis, we considered factors such as the scale of potential use, the need for repeated applications, reversibility, environmental risk, perception and regulatory risks, financial risk and critical knowledge gaps. On this basis, we made recommendations with respect to the potential role of these approaches in an integrated pest management strategy for COTS and estimated a minimum lead time until each approach can be application ready. Our analyses should be regarded as a starting point for a more rigorous process involving broad stakeholder engagement, multi-disciplinary expert groups to formally assess risks, and modelling of promising strategies to clarify their potential efficiencies and stop-go criteria for further development.\"
Authors: Maciej Maselko, Owain Edwards
\n\"The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is native in the Indo-Pacific region and is not harmful at low population densities. However, crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) population booms are responsible for approximately 42 percent of observed cover loss in the Great Barrier Reef during an irruption and their populations are expected to grow as ocean temperatures increase .\"
\n\"They propose to strategically release caged populations of transgenic male COTS for the purposes of biological control. Two options would be considered for biological control, both of which have been used effectively for landscape-wide control of insect pests. First, using the sterile male technique, male COTS would be caged at high density at locations where outbreaks are predicted to occur. Sperm release by these caged individuals carry a genetic system that renders them effectively sterile, and would compete with sperm from wild males for the fertilisation of eggs during spawning. Eggs fertilised by the SGI-carrying sperm would not develop, resulting in localised population suppression. Secondly, using a mating disruption approach, release COTS could also be engineered to release high levels of aggregation or alarm pheromone, and be strategically placed to disrupt local mating efficiencies.\"
Authors: Karlo Hock, Yves-Marie Bozec, Mary Bonin, Scott A Condie, David Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
\n\"Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a vast coral reef ecosystem consisting of 3800+ individual reefs. Ocean currents connect populations of coral and other benthic organisms by dispersing their larvae among the reefs. Connectivity is also a major driver of regional dynamics for coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), whose periodic population explosions have had devastating impacts on the health of the GBR. While large populations of adult starfish can devastate the coral community on a reef, dispersal of starfish larvae to other reefs leads to large-scale outbreak events and subsequent regional declines in coral cover. Efforts to control these outbreaks are exacerbated by the spatial scale of the GBR, and warrant targeted allocation of management resources at strategic locations. Here, we first used the oceanographic models to simulate the dispersal of both COTS and coral larvae among the reefs and obtain GBR-wide connectivity patterns. We then analysed these connectivity patterns in order to highlight reefs that will be more likely to either experience larval influx or spread the larvae to other reefs in the region. To test the capability of the connectivity models to capture the demographic processes on the GBR, we validated the model outputs against COTS field surveys, and found that the predictions of COTS larval connectivity
\ncorrespond to reported adult abundances on reefs. We then used these outputs to define connectivity profiles of reefs that can then be used as a basis for designing regional control and management strategies. Importantly, in addition to identifying reefs important for COTS connectivity, this approach also identified potential sources of coral larvae that can support regional recovery processes, and do so consistently over multiple spawning seasons. Protecting these regionally important source reefs may be critical to help with the recovery of reefs that have not
\nonly already been damaged by COTS outbreaks, but also affected by other disturbances such as coral bleaching.\"
Authors: Sam Matthews, Mary C. Bonin, Tristan Simpson, Daniel Schultz, Jo Baker, Anya Jaeckli
\n, Darren Cameron
\n\"The COTS Control Program collects a vast array of ecological observations as well as program management data. While the volume and disparate nature of many datasets provides technical problems to overcome, improving the processes and data infrastructure to efficiently collect, quality check, store, analyse and visualise these data provides deep insight into the impact and management of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef. In recent years, the Marine Park Authority has made significant progress in improving the data management and analytical platforms we use to ensure high quality data is available to track the progression of COTS outbreaks, measure progress in pest management, and support our adaptive management of the COTS Control Program. Here we present the lifecycle of data in the COTS Control Program on the Great Barrier Reef. Observation
\ndata, including manta tow surveillance, culling and reef health surveys are collected on water by professionally trained vessel crews using custom built apps. These apps have been designed to include quality checks that reduce error rates, and they deliver data directly into the Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef Database.\"
\n\"Once data is received from vessel crews, further quality checks are conducted and quality assurance reports are then delivered back to our contractors providing feedback on data collection and logistical considerations. Once checked, the data is synthesised and visualised in our analytics platform, the COTS Dashboard, providing an interactive interface to monitor the progress of the control program in achieving pest management goals on each reef and cull site being actioned, while also providing broader situational awareness of COTS outbreaks across the entire Marine Park. This analytics platform is the first of its kind for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, allowing COTS management actions to be monitored, evaluated and improved upon in near real
\ntime. Adherence to best practice data management principles and ongoing investment in analytical capabilities provides provide a platform to manage the COTS Control Program in a data-driven and adaptive fashion.\"
Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns
\nhttps://www.rrrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-International-COTS-Control-Forum-Program-DIGITAL.pdf