A crown-of-thorns starfish or taramea underwater. Photo: Kōrero O Te `Ōrau
More than 6500 coral eating Crown of Thorns Starfish have been removed from Cook Islands reefs since 2020 when the outbreak occurred.
The starfish, called taramea in Cook Islands Maori, have decimated the country's reefs in the past.
Divers, mainly in Rarotonga, have been controlling the numbers for the last three years as part of operation taramea.
Marine biologist Dr Teina Rongo, who is leading the removal of the starfish, spoke to RNZ Pacific's Caleb Fotheringham.
