Divers remove more than 1,300 crown-of-thorns starfish in Semporna

Photo Credit (Adzmin Fatta - Reef Check Malaysia)

KOTA KINABALU: A community-led marine team removed 1,318 crown-of-thorns starfish around Tabawan and Adal Islands, Semporna, on June 1 and 2 after outbreak reports.

Adzmin Fatta of Reef Check Malaysia said divers from Selakan, Larapan, Mabul and Kunak were mobilised.

He said that they conducted two dives daily and removed 742 starfish from Tabawan and 576 from Adal.

“Observations from the response effort revealed that most the starfish in Tabawan were concentrated at depths of 18 to 20 metres, likely because many shallow reef areas had already been severely impacted by previous outbreaks.

“In contrast, the majority of the starfish recorded around Adal Island were found in shallower waters between one to 10 metres, where healthy coral habitats remain vulnerable to further predation,” said Adzmin.

Adzmin stated that coral bleaching stayed below 10% coverage on each island. He said the team also recorded ghost nets. The response team said Sabah's reefs required close attention as ocean temperatures rose.

Mohd Zaidi Morphy said community divers could detect threats early. Reef Check Malaysia and partners urged divers, tourism operators, fishers and coastal communities to report bleaching or unusual COTs aggregations.

“Continued monitoring and rapid response efforts are essential, particularly in areas such as Tabawan, Silumpat, Bakungan, and Adal, where further outbreaks may occur,” he said.