HALMAHERA, Indonesia, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- A study has found crown-of-thorns starfish are threatening the "coral triangle" in Indonesia -- the world's richest center of coral reef biodiversity.
Scientists from the U.S. Wildlife Conservation Society and the Australian Research Council's Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies discovered large numbers of the starfish in reefs in Halmahera, Indonesia -- at the heart of the coral triangle, which lies between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Researchers said the coral triangle is considered the genetic fountainhead for coral diversity found on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and other reefs in the region.
The starfish is a predator that feeds on corals by spreading its stomach over them and using digestive enzymes to liquefy tissue. Scientists said the fear the outbreak is caused by poor water quality and could be an early warning of widespread reef decline.
The scientists also found evidence of recent blast fishing -- a fishing technique that involves the use of explosives.
"The good news is that the reef fish assemblages are still in very good shape" said Tasrif Kartawijaya of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "So these reefs have the capacity to recover if we can address the current threats."