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Like other organisms, the crown-of-thorns starfish passes its DNA into the surrounding environment. Credit - PantherMediaSeller/Depositphotos
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As if they don't already face enough challenges from bleaching, many of the world's coral reefs are currently being eaten by the crown-of-thorns starfish. A simple new portable test kit, however, could detect their presence sooner than ever before...The kit is very sensitive, responding to amounts of eDNA material as small as 0.1 picograms...This means it can detect infestations while the starfish are still very young, small, and hidden by the coral.

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