Coral predators such as Crown-of-Thorns starfish and Drupella snails can devastate entire reef systems when their populations grow unchecked.
This 1-day specialty course trains you to identify, monitor, and assess coral predator populations, understand their ecological role, and take part in our ongoing research project tracking COTs outbreaks around Koh Tao.
Coral reefs face many challenges — warming waters, pollution, and storms — but one of the most destructive threats comes from coral predators.
Species like Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) and Drupella snails feed on live corals, and when their populations spike, they can strip a reef bare.
Our Coral Predators: Monitoring & Management course teaches you how to identify these species, assess population density, and detect early signs of outbreaks. You’ll also contribute directly to our island-wide COTs monitoring project, helping protect Koh Tao’s reefs through real research and conservation action.
What you’ll learn:
- Identify coral predator species (Crown-of-Thorns starfish, Drupella snails, etc.)
- Assess COTs population density and detect early outbreak indicators
- Understand natural population controls vs. human-driven imbalances
- Monitor predator impacts on coral cover and reef health
- Contribute data to Koh Tao’s ongoing Crown-of-Thorns research program
This course is ideal if you want to:
- Support reef protection by participating in real monitoring projects
- Build skills essential for conservation research and management
- Prepare for advanced specialties like Coral Disease, Advanced Taxonomy, or
Artificial Reefs
- Take meaningful conservation action through scientific diving






