HIHWNMS - crown of thorns star fish (27226603873)

Description:

Description: When diving in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary with XL Catlin Seaview Survey, NOAA diver Mitchell Tartt took this photo of a crown-of-thorns starfish nestled into the reef. While they do feed on coral, as seen here, crown-of-thorns starfish are important members of the reef community and part of the rich biodiversity that makes the Hawaiian Islands such a beautiful place. Of course, when the balance shifts and an outbreak of these animals ensues -- as has recently happened in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa -- their consumption of corals can have negative impacts on reef health, so we closely study the health of reef ecosystems across the sanctuary system. Photo Credit: Mitchell Tartt/NOAA. Date: 15 December 2015, 15:27. Source: HIHWNMS - crown of thorns star fish. Author: National Marine Sanctuaries.