Saudi Arabia | Wildlife is preparing a plan to protect coral reefs from the crown-of-thorns starfish

Weather of Arabia - The National Center for Wildlife Development organized today a workshop on "Managing the Outbreak of the Crown of Thorns Starfish in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", with the participation of a number of experts and specialists from inside and outside the Kingdom.

The workshop began with a speech by the CEO of the Center, Dr. Muhammad Ali Qurban, during which he explained that the workshop aims to gather experts, stakeholders, partners and decision-makers to inform them of the potential threat posed by the outbreak of the crown-of-thorns starfish and its negative effects on coral reefs in the Kingdom's seas.

He said: There is an urgent need to prepare a future plan to manage the spread of the crown-of-thorns starfish, build an effective response plan to confront its outbreak, which could occur at any time, avoid its negative effects, and strengthen the protection of coral reefs and continue monitoring and protecting them from the danger that could cause damage. environmental, economic and social.

And "Qurban" indicated that this organism is one of the largest types of starfish, and it feeds on hard coral "polyps" of great importance for the formation of coral reefs, pointing out that the presence of these organisms in natural numbers does not pose a threat to coral reefs, but their spread and increase in their numbers is one of the most important threats.

He reviewed the importance of the coral reefs that abound in the Kingdom's seas in terms of fish wealth, coastal protection and tourist attractions, as it is one of the most important marine ecosystems that support the balance of the marine environment, enrich its biodiversity and enhance its sustainability.

He stressed that the National Center leads efforts to protect and preserve the marine environment and its biodiversity, and therefore took the initiative to build an effective response plan and raise the level of preparedness for any outbreak of this organism, in cooperation with the relevant authorities.

The workshop included a number of scientific papers, panel discussions, and a presentation of best practices for building a response plan for the outbreak of the crown-of-thorns starfish in the Kingdom.