Perhaps no other star fish receives more attention than Crown of Thorns. This attention is not necessarily born from love. The insidious Crown of Thorns are voracious predators of hard corals. The Crown of Thorns (COTs) could reproduce rapidly and literally mow down large tracks of coral within a short period of time.   The method of destruction employed by the COTs is a gruesome sort of beauty and the beast story. Like all sea stars, the bottom of the COT is made up of hundreds of suction tentacles. As the COT moves across the hard coral surface (covered with thousands of holes each being the home built by one small coral animal called a polyp) the COT adroitly aligns one suction tentacle over one of the coral holes and sucks the little coral polyp out of its home and eats it. An efficient COT can get hundreds of its tentacles working in unison on individual holes and wreak havoc on a large coral structure in just a few minutes leaving behind an empty and dead coral carcass.   Protecting the corals   The NoaNoa reef has never suffered from huge quantities of COTs and since the local government appointed me as the guardian of the NoaNoa Marine Sanctuary we made sure it won’t happen now. When we snorkel around the reef daily and always on the lookout for anything amiss. When we spot a COT, we are determined to remove it from the reef but that is not always easy to do.   Swimming down deep to reach the COTS is the easy part but once there I can’t just grab it because the top side of the COT is lined with poisonous thorns while the hundreds of suction tentacles keep it firmly glued to the coral surface. Tempting as it may be, I cannot smash the COT with a rock or cut it with a knife. If I did the COT would instantly release thousands of eggs into the sea. The COT must be treated gently, taking care not to hurt or alarm it. Sometimes, if I am close to shore, I can find 2 large, dead, plate or antler corals with which I can use one piece to slide underneath the COT while using the other piece to trap the COT from the top. Then, very carefully swim towards the shore while the COT squirms and wiggles its many legs covered with poisonous thorns towards my hands. Inevitably I have to release the COT and get a new grip on it every minute or 2 to prevent getting stung by the thorns. Once on the shore the COT dies quickly. Most of the time I am far from the shore and have to mentally mark the underwater location of the COT and then swim a kilometer or 2 back to the Beach Bar where I can arm myself with long cooking tongs and an old rice sack before swimming back to the COT. Usually the COT is still in or near the same spot, sometimes the COT can’t be found.   An Ongoing battle   The Great Barrier reef has been battling COTs for years and the Australian marine biologists invented a devise which looks similar to a cattle prod (long narrow tube, pointed at the end) whereby the swimmer can simply push the sharp end of the tube into the COT thereby injecting a dose of acid into the COT. The acid effectively prevents the COT from releasing its eggs and renders death shortly thereafter. In locations infected by thousands of COTs this sort of device came in very handy with a quick kill and no need to remove the dead COTs. Numerous other nations purchased these devices as part of their effort to control the COTs but some of the Australians marine biologists started noticing a troublesome pattern.   The troublesome pattern was this: numerous seemingly spontaneous releases of eggs from thousands of COTs. As the biologists searched for an explanation the pattern became clear. As large populations of COTs were attacked by the acid injection, nearby populations that were not under attack would release their eggs. Long story short: Somehow the COTs could sense the destruction of their species nearby which caused the unharmed COTs to release their eggs. Needless to say, the acid method is not used much anymore. The best method of COT control has reverted to tongs and a sack.   Many Marine Biologists have explained to me that COTs in a reef is not really a bad thing, it is just a fact of a natural eco system. I’m not comfortable with this explanation. The Conch is the primary natural predator of the COT and Conch are now very rare. Too many tourists are willing to buy the beautiful Conch shells and too many locals are happy to capture the Conch to make a nice soup and then sell the shell for a good chunk of cash. The main natural predator of COTs is gone but the COT has a new predator in the NoaNoa reef: Me and the NoaNoa Team.   Years ago, I would collect 4 to 6 COTs per month in the NoaNoa reef. Now I collect about 1 every 3 or 4 months. For now, it seems, we have the situation under control but I know that close observation must continue since the reproduction abilities of the COT are so effective and rapid. Don’t worry about me, I enjoy my work.   A B

Surrounding NoaNoa Island, under the clear turquoise water of the Sulu Sea, is a stunning coral reef considered one of the best in the Philippines. It is one of the only places in the world where you can reach a beautiful coral reef – known as a fringe reef – within a few meters of the beach and snorkel for hours and hours so close to shore. The NoaNoa reef has been protected as an Official Marine Sanctuary since 2006 and covers a circumference of more than five kilometers. It is shallow which allows for clear visibility and easy snorkel access and also features caves and a long, spectacular drop off on the eastern side of the island. We have such an amazing coral reef at NoaNoa Private Island that marine biologists come to study it and document the diversity here.  Typical shapes for coral species are named by their resemblance to wrinkled brains, cabbages, tabletops, antlers, wire strands and pillars. As Andy says, there are tabletop corals at NoaNoa “as big as Cadillacs.” NoaNoa guests love exploring the reef close to the beach and spend hours discovering its unique alcoves, drop-offs, crevices, and plains. Take a walk to the secret beach on the western side of NoaNoa Private Island and just off the beach, there is a reef we call Love Heart Reef because of its heart shape. You’re most likely to see turtles on the southern side of the island and no one goes home without checking in with Nemo and friends. You will be provided all the snorkeling gear you will need for a wonderful holiday: fins, a mask and snorkel. We can also provide life jackets for those who don’t consider themselves strong swimmers. We recommend you bring a rash shirt to swim in and we require all guests to use the sunscreen we provided which is reef safe. Coral reefs are often referred to as “rainforests of the sea” and make up some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. While coral reefs only occupy about one per cent of the world’s ocean surface, they provide a home for at least a quarter of all marine species including fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, turtles and other beautiful creatures. Read all about the Crown of Thorns here – an important part of the ecosystem when kept in check.