7 days ago
Nearly 1,500 Crown-of-Thorns starfish removed in Lahad Datu reef cleanup
Volunteers posing after one of the dives to remove COTS. – Photos courtesy of MRF & RCM.
LAHAD DATU (Aug 15): A three-day underwater cleanup by volunteer divers resulted in the removal of 1,495 Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS) from the waters of Darvel Bay here.
Co-organised by the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) and Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) with support from Sabah Parks, the August 10–12 expedition involved 17 divers from local government agencies, the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Marine Police Lahad Datu, community groups from Larapan and Selakan, Sabah Dive Rangers, and local dive operator Darvel Bay Diving.
COTS are large predatory starfish that feed on corals and, in outbreak numbers, can devastate entire reef systems. Controlling their population is essential to preserving marine ecosystems.
MRF's Principal Programme Officer, Liyana Izwin Khalid, urged communities, stakeholders, and policymakers to work together to manage COTS in Darvel Bay, while MRF Conservation Officer Chris Chai Chun Xue highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
RCM Programme Manager Nadhirah Mohd Rifai stressed that removing COTS is only part of the solution, pointing to the need to tackle root causes such as water quality decline, overfishing of natural predators, and climate change.
The initiative was funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah and PADI Aware Foundation.
