Outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish, a coral predator, remain one of the major causes of coral loss throughout the Indo-Pacific. In 2015, an outbreak was reported on the Great Barrier Reef and across the Indian Ocean, including the Seychelles and the Maldives, threatening these reefs and the livelihoods they support. This outbreak was the worst experienced in the Maldives since the late 1980’s. Coral populations were decimated on some reefs in North Male’ Atoll.

Control of Crown of Thorns starfish populations have been ongoing monthly at Vabbinfaru and Ihuru since 2001 as part of our cleaning community initiatives. To date, over 8000 starfish have been physically removed. In 2015 Banyan Tree introduced a new tool to help protect its reefs and those nearby: killing starfish with a single injection of a non-toxic chemical extracted from cow bile. Bile salts, as they’re known, are non-toxic to corals and fish and have been used to great success on the Great Barrier Reef with 100% mortality within 24 hours from a single injection. The introduction of this method helps to safely and rapidly control large numbers of crown of thorns starfish, helping to conserve the natural balance on coral reefs.