Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) Threatens Panaon Seas: SLSU Bontoc marine experts avert outbreak
LILOAN, SOUTHERN LEYTE – Panaon Island has recently been declared as a protected seascape area for its rich marine biodiversity. However, these 60,000 hectares of “coral-rich paradise” are under threat from the Crown-of-Thorns, locally known as Dap-ag.
Crown-of-Thorns (COTS), a ferocious predator feeding on corals, if left unchecked, may lead to risking food security and marine biodiversity. Without corals, our fish will have no more breeding habitat to thrive which could cause dwindling catch.
This pressing concern led the Office of the Research, Innovation, and Extension Services (REIS), SLSU-Bontoc, together with its partner collaborators Liloan Municipal Agriculture Services Office, Philippine Coast Guard - Liloan, and Dap-ag Boys, to conduct a 3-day COTS manual extraction operation on April 23-24, 2024 in Barangay Gud-an and Barangay Poblacion, Liloan, Southern Leyte.
The site is where Ollie’s Wall, known for its bouldering and diverse corals, is located.
Trained dive masters and marine biologists performed the collection and injection of sodium bisulfate solution to COTS. Asst. Professor Janine Dimzon, Head of REIS and an expert in marine biology said the collected COTS samples were used to determine and record the weight, arm lengths, arm counts, and sex for research purposes. “The prevalence of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) in the area, as evidenced by the large number of COTS extracted/injected and the coral damage indicated by the feeding scars on the coral reef, raises serious concerns and demands urgent attention,” she added.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation declared that the presence of 15 COTS in a one-hectare area can be considered an outbreak. In this 3-day dive operation, 1,111 COTS were collected and injected; 165 in Brgy. Gud-an and 946 in Brgy. Poblacion with an estimated density of 9 COTS per 100 m2.
Ryan P. Tomol, a resident divemaster and a lead diver of Dap-ag boys, a group of Southern Leyteño divers who have been proactive in the fight against COTS infestation said that continued and regular/systematic monitoring of COTS infestation in the Liloan waters is imperative.
“This consistent surveillance will provide vital data to assess the situation accurately and implement timely interventions as necessary,” Tomol said.
The team is composed of Ryan P. Tomol (Team Leader, Divemaster), Janine C. Dimzon (Activity Supervisor, Data Enumerator), Jimmy Salamida (Diver), Alieza O. Del Socorro (Diver), Leila C. Bejel (Diver), Ann Margaret Pol (Diver Volunteer), Josephine Q. Moso (RIES Staff, Data Enumerator) and student divers: Jefferson Amogues (BS Fisheries), Iris Joy Verdijo (BS Marine Biology) and Nyzareth Cruz (BS Marine Biology).
