A complete ban on fishing can save coral reef communities in more ways than one

coral trout

have protected the corals from a predatory starfish

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a voracious hunter of corals and a massive problem for reef conservationists

it digests the underlying coral by extruding its stomach out through its underside

From time to time, their numbers swell into plagues of thousands that leave behind the dead, white skeletons of corals in their wake

found that these outbreaks are much less frequent in the "no-take marine reserves", where fishing is absolutely forbidden

but the coral trout, whose populations have boomed in the no-take reserves, specialise in hunting fish not starfish

big fish like coral trout controls the numbers of smaller fish like wrasse. That puts less pressure on the populations of small invertebrates that in turn, feed on baby starfish

sounds convoluted, but other studies in recent years have provided examples of similar domino effects