Kategorie: News
20 million dollars for the region
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) are among the greatest threats to the Great Barrier Reef, alongside cyclones and coral bleaching. These predators, which can grow up to 80 centimeters and are armed with venomous spines, devour entire sections of the reef during mass outbreaks by wrapping their stomachs around stony corals and consuming the digested tissue.
Since 1962, such outbreaks have been considered one of the main causes of coral loss on the reef. To control the populations, divers selectively inject the animals with a lethal solution of vinegar or bile salt. The method is labor-intensive but safe, and the reef itself remains unharmed.
From Nature Conservation to Economic Driver
A new study published in the journal *Marine Policy* has now calculated for the first time the economic benefits such a control program brings to the region. The $5.5 million program in the Cairns region generated a total economic output of approximately $20 million in Far North Queensland in 2024–25 - broken down into $10.5 million in direct effects, $4.9 million through suppliers, and $4.8 million through consumer spending. In addition, the program supported 61 full-time jobs, including 34.4 directly in water-based operations, 13.5 with suppliers, and 13.4 through consumer spending.
“This program not only protects the corals on the Great Barrier Reef - it employs young workers and generates real financial and job-creating spillover effects for the community,” explains Dr. Rickard Abom of the Reef and Rainforest Research Center, co-author of the study and manager of the Starfish Program. The results showed that investments in nature conservation generated several positive and measurable effects for the community.
Dr. Henry Bartelet, who led the research as a fellow at the Cairns Institute of James Cook University, emphasizes how long overdue such an analysis was: “If this were about extractive projects like coal mines, this type of study would be standard practice. But for reef restoration projects, this kind of economic analysis had not yet been conducted in Australia.” The aim was to determine how much of the money spent actually remains in the region.
The study shows that the majority of the funds goes directly to the workers in the water, in addition to expenditures for fuel, food, and beverages, as well as administrative staff on land. Maintenance of the boats used is also carried out locally, thereby supporting the boatbuilding sector in Cairns. Co-author Professor Stewart Lockie adds that the program provides “economic evidence that such programs create employment opportunities for people.”
For the calculations, the research team used an established input-output model, similar to those used in other economic sectors to analyze regional effects. The underlying study was funded through a partnership between the Australian Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation; in addition to James Cook University, the Reef and Rainforest Research Center and INLOC were also involved in the research.
The reef itself remains under pressure
Despite the positive economic results, the actual ecological challenge remains: The study assesses only the regional economic impact of the control program, not the overall condition of the reef. Crown-of-thorns starfish remain a recurring problem, with outbreaks likely driven by several factors simultaneously, including increased nutrient inputs and the decline of natural predators due to fishing. Incidentally, the injection method itself is selective enough to remain safe for divers and other reef inhabitants - unlike contact with the starfish’s venomous spines, which can cause nausea, paralysis, and severe pain in humans.
More information:
Oceanographic Magazine
German Foundation for Marine Conservation