Abstract
A recent review of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci; COTS) in Indonesia has suggested that their impacts have gone under-reported. In 2012–2013, we surveyed COTS at permanent transects within 12 sites of the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, a coastal region close to two rivers and the heavily urbanised city of Makassar. Evidence of COTS was apparent at 8 of 12 sites surveyed with highest densities (37 starfish per 250 m−2 at Barrang Lompo) comparable to those reported in the Indonesian historical literature. At Barrang Lompo and Bonetambung, the COTS outbreak resulted in the loss of half the live coral. Terrestrial effluents have reduced water quality in the Spermonde Archipelago, which further supports recent work linking water quality and COTS outbreaks, thus providing a warning of future outbreaks to Indonesian coastal managers given the country’s increased urbanisation.
References
Baird AH, Pratchett MS, Hoey AS, Herdiana Y, Campbell SJ (2013) Acanthaster planci is a major cause of coral mortality in Indonesia. Coral Reefs 32:803–812
Edinger EE, Limmon GV, Jompa J, Widjatmoko W, Heikoop JM, Risk MJ (2000) Normal coral growth rates on dying reefs: are coral growth rates good indicators of reef health? Mar Poll Bull 40:404–425
Fabricius KE (2005) Effects of terrestrial runoff on the ecology of corals and coral reefs: review and synthesis. Mar Poll Bull 50:125–146
Fabricius KE, Okaji K, De’ath B (2010) Three lines of evidence to link outbreaks of the crown-of-thors seastar Acanthaster planci to the release of larval food limitation. Coral Reefs 29:593–605
Kayal M, Vercelloni J, Lison de Loma T, Bosserelle P, Chancerelle Y, Geoffroy S, Stievenart C, Michonneau F, Penin L, Planes S, Adjeroud M (2012) Predator crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) outbreak, mass mortality of corals, and cascading effects on reef fish and benthic communities. PLoS One 7:e47363
Moll H (1983) Zonation and diversity of scleractinan on reefs off SW Sulawesi, Indonesia. Ph.D thesis. Leiden University, p 105
Muller EE, Raymundo LJ, Willis BL, Haapkylä J, Yusuf S, Wilson JR, Harvell DC (2012) Coral health and disease in the Spermonde Archipelago and Wakatobi, Sulawesi. J Indones Coral Reefs 1:147–159
Pratchett MS (2005) Dynamics of an outbreak population of Acanthaster planci at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (1995-1999). Coral Reefs 24:453–462
Pratchet MS, Caballes CF, Rivera-Posada JA, Sweatman HPA (2014) Limits to understanding and managing outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.). Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 52:133–200
Pratchett MS, Schenk TJ, Baine M, Syms C, Baird H (2009) Selective coral mortality associated with outbreaks of Acanthaster planci L. in Bootless Bay, Papua New Guinea. Mar Environ Res 67:230–236
Sawall Y, Teichberg MC, Seemann J, Litaay M, Jompa J, Richter C (2011) Nutritional status and metabolism of the coral Sylophora subseriata along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago (Indonesia). Coral Reefs 30:841–853
Acknowledgments
We want to thank the University of Hasanuddin for access to the Barrang Lompo research station. This study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; Grant No. 03F0643A) under the bilateral German Indonesian Project, Science for the Protection of Indonesian Coastal Ecosystems (SPICE) III. Lastly, we want to thank the patience of one anonymous referee whose input contributed greatly to this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Editor: Wolfgang Cramer.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Plass-Johnson, J.G., Schwieder, H., Heiden, J. et al. A recent outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Reg Environ Change 15, 1157–1162 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0821-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0821-2