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Crown of Thorns Starfish removal program on track

The most efficient way to remove Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) is by injecting them with ox bile, a substance that kills the starfish without harming the reef.

 

Each bile injector can hold enough bile to inject up to 400 COTS at a time.

 

For the past week and up until next Monday, April 28, the group will be diving in different places, specifically at priority reefs and sanctuary management areas around Tutuila and Aunu’u. Dives take place not only during the day but also at nighttime, with a high resolution camera capturing every minute of the project and documenting the work as it progresses.

 

The Alamea eradication project is a collaboration of agencies including the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS), the National Park Service (NPS), the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR), and the American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG).

 

It involves local, regional, and national collaboration and includes team members from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Dive Center, and assistance from local partners like the American Samoa Community College (ASCC), the US Coast Guard, LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Bluesky Communications, and volunteers.

 

A briefing for all partners, the media and the general public will be held at the Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center on April 28 at 10 a.m.