PICRC Strengthens Palau’s Capacity to Respond to Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Threats Through Australia Partnership

The Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) recently coordinated a two-week Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) Control Training to strengthen Palau’s capacity to monitor and respond to COTS threats and protect its coral reefs. The training was led by visiting experts from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in Australia, including PICRC’s Board Member Dr. David Williamson, and was supported by the Koror State Government, The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment (MAFE), the Australian Embassy and Australian Government, the University of Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The collaboration focused on strengthening COTS response capacity, protecting priority reefs, and building practical skills among Palau’s science, management, and tourism sectors.

There were approximately 20 participants from PICRC, the Palau Pacific Resort, Paddling Palau, Airai Rangers, Koror State Government Division of Conservation and Law Enforcement (KSG-DCLE), and the Bureau of Fisheries under MAFE. As the local coordinator, PICRC supported the training through Chief Researcher Ikelau Otto, who coordinated the project. Additional PICRC staff also participated in the training and fieldwork alongside the participating organizations. Over the two weeks, participants conducted reef surveys and COTS control activities at Ngederrak Reef and Lighthouse Reefs. The team completed 21 dives and removed 2,205 COTS across 20. 95 hectares. The training began with presentations by the GBRMPA on the broader impacts COTS can have on coral reefs. Participants were introduced to COTS control equipment, including vinegar guns, and received hands-on instruction on how to assemble, use, dismantle, and clean the equipment. The training also covered the Manta tow…