10.5479/si.0077-5630.606 L. Senthilnathan L. Senthilnathan R. Ranith R. Ranith M. Machendiranathan M. Machendiranathan T. Thangaradjou T. Thangaradjou Idrees Babu Idrees Babu S. B. Choudhury S. B. Choudhury I. V. Ramana I. V. Ramana S. K. Sasamal S. K. Sasamal Are Lakshadweep Corals Heading Toward COT Outbreak? The Smithsonian Institution 2019 predation massive corals Marine Biology 2019-09-12 18:04:47 Book https://smithsonian.figshare.com/articles/book/Are_Lakshadweep_Corals_Heading_Toward_COT_Outbreak_/9761924 Crown-of-Thorns (COT) predation off Kavaratti and Agatti islands in the Lakshadweep reef system has increased sporadically in recent years and appears to be approaching outbreak status, as indicated by a study of the starfish’s spatial progression along 16 transects off each island between 2010 and 2012. Infestation along one transect rose from 3 COTs in 2010 to 18 COTs in 2012. A threat susceptibility level for corals calculated as stressors/total live corals present along each transect averaged 38.9% to 52.5% in 2011 and 43.5 to 52.6% in 2012. Over much of the study period, COT exhibited selective feeding on branching corals but then shifted to Pavona sp. during 2012. High periodicity in COT prevalence was also observed, with a higher population during March–May (pre monsoon) and August–September (post monsoon), months when the corals were under severe environmental stress.