Operation Taramea - Cook Islands

Taramea (Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish) is a coral-eating starfish responsible for the decimation of reefs on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands twice in the last 50 years (in the 1970s and in the mid-1990s to early 2000s). In October 2019, taramea removal was carried out on the island of Mitiaro when a small population was discovered by Dr Teina Rongo (Marine Biologist and Chairman of NGO, Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau) to prevent outbreak conditions. In mid-July 2020, Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau found signs that Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands were in the early stages of a taramea outbreak.

This has been very concerning because research by Dr Rongo has indicated that Rarotonga’s reefs cannot afford to go through another taramea outbreak considering the impacts of climate change. This was evident in the recovery of reefs following the last taramea outbreak in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, which took 20 years to reach pre-taramea conditions; of note, it took less than 12 years for reefs to recover from the 1970s taramea outbreak.

The uncertainty around the recovery of reefs in the face of another taramea outbreak prompted immediate action. Thus, Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau is currently working with a team of students, community volunteers, and dive operators to remove the taramea from the fore reefs. So far, over 8,100 have been removed since 2020!

Let us not wait! Let us work together to protect our reefs!

Meitaki Ma'ata!