COTS outbreak in Ormoc

By RONNIE C. ROA
March 7, 2012

ORMOC CITY  –  Alarming number of COTS was seen here in Ormoc. The outbreak was confirmed last Sunday, March 4, after Irish Belmonte of Animal Production and Fisheries Division of the City Agricultural Services Office collected almost 400 pieces of COTS in just 2 hours of diving in more or less 200 square meters inside the fish sanctuary in Barangay Ipil, this city.

COTS or Crown-of Thorns Starfish, dap-ag in local term are marine invertebrates that feed on coral and occur naturally on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. When conditions are right for COTS to multiply, they can reach plague proportions and devastate the hard coral population on affected reefs. COTS with scientific name of Ancanthaster Planci is a large nocturnal starfish reaching to 60 cm in diameter with an average of 17 arms and numerous sharp and poisonous thorns and could be found two to 20 meters, and sometimes deeper.

Late of February, COTS outbreak was reported in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte. This was prompted city’s marine bio advocates to check Ormoc waters. The first checking was just tolerable after the Bantay Dagat collected only 5 pieces. But last Thursday, March 1, the group collected over a hundred of COTS.

Last Sunday, Belmonte and Bantay Dagat took a dive to collect the harmful starfish. The group observed dead corals because of this marine pest. They used sticks to get the COTS for it is thorny and poisonous once it touches any part of human skin.  They immediately buried the collected 381 COTS in the shore.