Researchers at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here said they were studying the sporadic appearance of the Crown of Thorns starfish, which has threatened coral reefs in Talicud Island in Samal. Among the remedies being undertaken by the research divers was the injection of vinegar to kill the naturally occurring species to control their population. The starfish, scientific name Acanthaster planci, is a venomous coral-eating starfish that threatens corals, which are living organisms that take years and centuries to rehabilitate.

Ocampo, Y. D. (2018, May 17). Warning out on coral-eating starfish in Samal's Talicud Island. Manila Bulletin, p. B-8.