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posted by martyb on Tuesday September 19 2017, @06:49AM   Printer-friendly
from the insert-Lisa-SImpson-quip-here dept.

A giant starfish-eating snail could be unleashed to help save the Great Barrier Reef, officials said Monday, with a trial underway to breed thousands of the rare species.

Predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, which munch coral, are naturally-occurring but have proliferated due to pollution and agricultural run-off at the struggling World Heritage-listed ecosystem.

Their impact has been profound with a major study of the 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) long reef's health in 2012 showing coral cover halved over the past 27 years, with 42 percent of the damage attributed to the pest.

Now Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) research has shown they avoid areas where the Pacific triton sea snail—also known as the giant triton—is present.

The snails—which can grow to half a metre—have a well developed sense of smell and can hunt their prey by scent alone.

Research showed they were particularly fond of crown-of-thorns, but only eat a few each week, and with the snail almost hunted to extinction for their shells, there are not many left.

The snails are expected to move quickly to counter the starfish.


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  • (Score: 2) by gallondr00nk on Tuesday September 19 2017, @09:32AM (4 children)

    by gallondr00nk (392) on Tuesday September 19 2017, @09:32AM (#570125)

    That it's the giant sea snail that has the plan.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 5, Touché) by c0lo on Tuesday September 19 2017, @10:51AM (2 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 19 2017, @10:51AM (#570140) Journal

    Please tell me

    That it's the giant sea snail that has the plan.

    It is the giant sea snail that has the plan.

    (now, mod me insightful - large grin)

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 19 2017, @01:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 19 2017, @01:01PM (#570166)

      Haha, looks like you get touché instead!

      While waiting for my morning tea to brew, I read “Giant Sea Snails Plan to Rescue Barrier Reef” and was wondering if Gaia awoke and had starting healing the planet of the infestation known as man.

    • (Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Tuesday September 19 2017, @02:25PM

      by linkdude64 (5482) on Tuesday September 19 2017, @02:25PM (#570187)

      It is the giant sea snail that has the plan.

      "That it's the giant sea snail that has the plan." [emphasis added]

      Pedants pay such little attention to detail sometimes.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by krishnoid on Tuesday September 19 2017, @07:10PM

    by krishnoid (1156) on Tuesday September 19 2017, @07:10PM (#570308)

    The giant snails started out in the sea. They evolved. They grew to half a meter. They can hunt by sense of smell underwater. There are many copies.

    And they have a plan.