Coral cycle of life with crown-of-thorns starfish (VIDEO)
Caption
Life cycle of coral with crown-of-thorns starfish. Beginning with healthy coral, heatwave events induce coral bleaching, causing coral death and algal colonisation. Corals then collapse and create rubble habitat for juvenile crown-of-thorns, which can tolerate the thermal stress and build up in numbers until the reef regrows and the juveniles emerge to eat the new coral.
Credit
University of Sydney, Byrne et al.
Usage Restrictions
Free to use with credit.
License
Original content