Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 7 One of the most challenging questions we are regularly asked is where the crown of thorns starfish (COTS) come from. A reef can be unaffected for years or even decades and then suddenly thousands
Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 5 The Living Oceans Foundation SCAR (Starfish Control and Removal) team is working at the Gili Lankanfushi atoll with other marine biologists from the Gili Lankanfushi resort. They have asked for our help removing and
Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 4 Whenever crown of thorns starfish (COTS) are reported, we never know if they will still be in the same location or how much they have moved. In part, this depends on how quickly a
Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 3 On every dive we have done around Gili Lankanfushi we have seen dozens of moray eels. We have seen two species so far; the giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) and the honeycomb moray (Gymnothorax favagineus). We
Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 2 In May of this year we began receiving emails from marine biologists based in the Maldives requesting assistance to manage the growing crown of thorns starfish (COTS) populations. Although COTS have been seen here
Expedition Log: Maldives – Day 1 From the window of our airplane, I gaze in amazement at the expanse of high rise buildings crowded onto the tiny, low lying Indian Ocean island of Male, the capital of Maldives. Home to
Expedition Log: Cook Islands – Day 12 As we bandage our wounds, wash and pack our gear, and prepare for our departure, we take time to discuss the outcomes of our project with our partners in Aitutaki. Since discovering and
Expedition Log: Cook Islands – Day 11 After a drove of crown of thorns starfish (COTS) moves through the reef, all that remains are the stark white coral skeletons. These quickly become covered in a green and brown fuzz of
Expedition Log: Cook Islands – Day 10 Juvenile and adult crown of thorns starfish (COTS) do not walk on their arms. Instead, they have thousands of tiny tube feet which occur along the grooves underneath each arm. Operated hydraulically using
Expedition Log: Cook Islands – Day 9 Coral reefs are considered one of the most productive and species-rich ecosystems in the world, but that doesn’t make them invulnerable to natural threats. The reefs in the Cook Islands have recently been
