Lacking certainty of harm, starfish should not be killed

By Susan Scott

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 04, 2013

~~<p>Why is it that tons of people and organizations are not trying to catch as many crown of thorn starfish as possible as we learn that the great reefs are greatly endangered by them?" wrote an unidentified reader last month. "Isn't there a bounty or something … at least in Australia? Should be."</p>
<p>The crown-of-thorns starfish isn't the demon it has been made out to be. Native to all coral reefs throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the species plays an important role in keeping the reefs healthy.</p>
~~

Why is it that tons of people and organizations are not trying to catch as many crown of thorn starfish as possible as we learn that the great reefs are greatly endangered by them?" wrote an unidentified reader last month. "Isn't there a bounty or something … at least in Australia? Should be."

The crown-of-thorns starfish isn't the demon it has been made out to be. Native to all coral reefs throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the species plays an important role in keeping the reefs healthy. Login for more...