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mskohl, yes that is indeed a crown of thorns. I saw a maybe 3 or 4 over 10 dives, so the population is not prolific. There was so sign whatsoever of any coral destruction in its wake, all reefers know how insanely fast corals can grow in the right conditions, so any destruction these things cause is totally insignificant.
They eat by extruding their stomach lining over their prey (coral polyps) and digesting the food before absorbing it.
You must remember that these critters are as much a part of the reef ecosystem as parrotfish, angelfish or butterfly fish, and if you actually take a close look at one one day, they are quite fascinating.
dtaylor123, the guys who run the GBR marine park would appreciate your support. One of my lecturers was in charge of the zonation planning, and got everything from death threats to public condemnation for increasing the protection level.
I'm hoping to make a day trip to the S.S.Yongala wreck, and another 4 day reef/yongala trip in the next week or two. But my camera woes are far from over. Still need at least $1500 for a new set up, and all my savings just went into car repairs.
So it looks like there won't be any photos from these trips. Might be December before i can afford anything, and by then i'll be back down in Sydney.
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