Today on Ocean Decoded Live, we're covering two major ocean science and conservation stories. First, a new perspective piece published in the journal Coral Reefs reflects on the surge of renewed research into crown-of-thorns starfish, one of the biggest drivers of coral mortality across the Indo-Pacific. We break down what scientists have learned about predicting outbreaks, detecting starfish populations before they explode, and the range of management tools now being tested, from culling to marine reserve protections to experimental semiochemical lures.
Then we turn to the Southern Ocean, where the Antarctic krill fishery has closed early for the second year running, just one day after World Krill Day. We dig into why this matters well beyond the fishing industry itself. Krill are the foundation of the Antarctic food web, and concentrated fishing near the Antarctic Peninsula is putting pressure on penguins, whales, and seals during critical feeding and breeding periods. We'll walk through the governance gaps at CCAMLR, the lapsed protections that used to spread out fishing effort, and what reform advocates are pushing for ahead of this year's CCAMLR meeting.
As always, we want to hear from you. Stick around for our Live Q&A segment where we take your questions on both stories and anything else ocean-related that's on your mind.
Takeaways:
A new Coral Reefs special issue highlights major advances in predicting, detecting, and managing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, while flagging that current detection methods still underestimate real population densities
The Antarctic krill fishery's second consecutive early closure is exposing a widening gap between industrial fishing pace and outdated Southern Ocean conservation governance
Both stories point to the same underlying theme: healthy predator populations and well-designed protected areas are proving to be some of the most effective tools for managing pressure on marine ecosystems
Story 1: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-026-02934-8
