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In 2013, scientists and researchers from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation found the coral reef on the ocean floor in Aitutaki was in crisis. Crown-of-thorns starfish had damaged 80-99 per cent of coral on the seafloor. The team on the expedition knew they had to intervene and removed hundreds of the starfish by hand – a strenuous task given they are covered with venomous spikes. When the team returned in 2015, reefs in the Cook Islands showed promising signs of repair and resilience.
