位於南海的太平島，因棘冠海星數量大爆發，超過九成珊瑚礁在兩年間死亡。研究估計，棘冠海星最主要的天敵大法螺被大量捕捉作觀賞用途至幾乎滅絕，導致棘冠海星數量無法得到控制。另外亦可能因人為海洋污染造成微細藻類大增，助長了棘冠海星大量繁殖。
Over 90% of the coral reefs around Taiping Island in the South China Sea are dead in the past two years because of the population explosion of crown-of-thorns starfish. These starfish’s main predator, the giant triton, were heavily captured for ornamental use; without the giant triton, the number of starfish become uncontrollable. human pollution that leads to increasing micro algae may also benefit the reproduction of the starfish.
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