An outbreak of the poisonous crown of thorn starfish (COTS) has been reported in the sea off a coastal village here, threatening corals in the waters that form part of Isla Verde Passage. Jacob Meimban Jr., executive director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau-Coastal and Marine Management Office (PAWB-CMMO) here, said they discovered and declared a COTS (Acanthasterplanci) outbreak in the waters of Barangay Pagkilatan, a 10-square-kilometer village along Verde Island Passage, which has been declared the center of marine biodiversity in the world. He said a COTS outbreak means that there are hundreds of the starfish species in one coral reef and that these are too big to be eaten by their predators—mostly fish.

Lesaba, M. E. (2013, June 1). Crown of thorns outbreak found in Batangas. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A10.