Outbreaks of the large, poisonous and spiny starfish, which feast on coral polyps, was linked to 42% of destruction.

A crown-of-thorns starfish feeds on coral on the Great Barrier Reef. (Supplied: Australian Institute of Marine Science) Crown-of-thorns thrive on bacteria ...

The Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is responsible for depletion of 40 percent of the coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef over the last 30 years, and currently can only be ...

FILE - Crown-of-thorns starfish — native predatory coral-feeding starfish which have risen to plague-like levels — are displayed after being removed from the Great Barrier Reef, Sept. 18, 2014.

There have been several outbreaks of these starfish on the Great Barrier Reef, each lasting between 10 and 15 years, with the first occurring in the 1960s. These starfish are considered a major ...

Divers clutch wooden spears as they plunge beneath the waves, hunting hordes of hungry starfish destroying the coral reefs ...

A giant sea snail could be the answer to getting rid of coral-eating starfish from the Great Barrier Reef, Myles Gough reports. Australian researchers are investigating whether the scent of a ...

A giant sea snail could be the answer to getting rid of coral-eating starfish from the Great Barrier Reef, Myles Gough reports. Australian researchers are investigating whether the scent of a ...