皇冠棘冠海星在泰国消耗珊瑚礁

of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) rests at the centre of a section of coral it has recently consumed, the hard coral skeleton beneath it reduced to bare white calcium carbonate on an Andaman Sea reef. Unlike coral bleaching caused by thermal stress, predation by this species removes the living polyp tissue entirely and permanently, leaving substrate that cannot recover without new larval settlement. Population outbreaks are closely linked to nutrient runoff from coastal development and agriculture, which fuels the phytoplankton blooms that juvenile COTS feed on, allowing survivorship rates to spike far above natural levels. Encrusting sponge and algae cover the surrounding reef framework, with red and brown coralline growth visible at the edges of the frame. 4K, wide angle, low scuba diver POV. Ko Haa Archipelago, Krabi Province, Thailand.