Insights into reproductive trends, predation patterns, and climatic triggers observed prior to a crown-of-thorns (COTS) outbreak are crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies to protect coral reefs, according to Ciemon Caballes, Ph.D., a senior research associate at the University of Guam’s NSF EPSCoR and assistant professor at the UOG Marine Lab.

Caballes shared his insights during the “Guam Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Outbreak Response Strategy” workshop in December at the UOG Marine Lab.

COTS are marine invertebrates known for their predation on corals. They can cause devastating impacts on coral reefs by depleting coral populations. They are found in reefs across the Indo-Pacific region.

Caballes’ research, supported by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in collaboration with UOG’s NSF EPSCoR and Sea Grant, and other local and federal resource management agencies, focuses on understanding and mitigating these outbreaks.

“When we try to catch a serial predator, like the crown-of-thorns starfish, we need to build a profile,” Caballes said noting that understanding COTS and the trends leading to an outbreak is crucial for an effective mitigation strategy.

Caballes outlined several hypotheses regarding the formation of COTS outbreaks. The first suggests that outbreaks are a natural biological predisposition, given the species’ high fertilization rates.

According to Caballes, even a single mating pair can initiate a population surge. He said a female starfish could potentially produce over 100 million eggs in one spawning season while a male can produce around 50 billion sperm.

Surprisingly, he pointed out that, despite a male-skewed sex ratio, crown-of-thorns starfish maintain high fertilization rates, achieving up to 30% success even when separated by significant distances.

The second hypothesis links outbreaks to the overfishing of natural predators, leading to the release of COTS from predatory pressure. He also discussed the nutrient hypothesis, which posits that elevated nutrient levels from river runoff result in increased phytoplankton densities. 

Since phytoplankton provide a source of food for COTS larvae, the spike improves their survival and development rates. However, he also said recent findings indicate that excessive phytoplankton might lead to overfeeding, affecting larvae survival negatively.

 Caballes also recalled several significant outbreaks, particularly one in 2009, and noted the possible influence of temperature and strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on COTS populations. He illustrated the correlation between high precipitation and river discharge events, such as those in 2003 and 2004, and subsequent COTS outbreaks in 2006 and 2007.

Caballes noted, “With back-to-back coral bleaching events compounded by COTS outbreaks, corals are struggling to recover.” He emphasized the need for effective management strategies to address these dual threats.

“This workshop is the culmination of our work since 2022. The project began in March of that year to assess the crown-of-thorns starfish populations around Guam and explore the feasibility of coral rehabilitation in these reef areas,” Caballes stated. 

Caballes described their research efforts, which included testing various plots to determine if culling crown-of-thorns starfish would enhance the survival of transplanted corals. 

Input from workshop participants have been integrated into the Guam COTS Outbreak Strategic Management Plan, which will be available to the public and distributed to all local and federal partners.

Fran Castro, associate director for operations and development at the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, highlighted the significance of the project in addressing COTS. She described multi-agency efforts that involved training local agencies and coordinating monitoring efforts.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG) recently hosted the first-ever Fish Fest at the CHamoru Village.  

The event featured community partners and UOG programs showcasing local research, outreach materials and educational opportunities highlighting the work being done in fisheries management and conservation.

“Fish Fest was a fresh opportunity for the community to see the work of our Guihan for Guahan program and many amazing partners across the island,” said Austin Shelton Ph.D., Director of UOG CIS & SG. “The event provided a valuable platform to connect with our community, raise awareness about the importance of our marine resources, and promote sustainable practices.”

The event included a Walk On The Dock feature that gave participants in-person access to local business fishers and a tour of the Guam Fire Rescue station.

Five-minute Short Cast talks were also hosted with topics including Mamulan Fishing, Tataga fishing, Top Catches and the launch of the Bring Your Buddy Back Alive initiative.  

“Everyone who came out to Fish Fest came to learn and have a great time,” said Leilani Sablan Naden, project lead for Guihan for Guam. “Thank you so much to all the great vendors, partners and members of the fishing community who came out to share their knowledge with the community.”

Calum Wright enjoyed the event and learned about other initiatives that can benefit the oceans around Guam.

“It was fun to have everyone all in one area,” said Wright. “I learned more about the efforts that are being taken to protect the fish and marine life around this beautiful island and about marine safety too.” 

 The UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant plans to make Fish Fest an annual event, further solidifying its commitment to marine education and conservation in Guam.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant is a research and outreach institution dedicated to promoting sustainable development and environmental stewardship in Guam and the Micronesian region.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG) and the Guam Department of Agriculture are seeking input for the Guam State Wildlife Action Plan (Guam SWAP).  

The Guam SWAP aims to catalogue species of greatest conservation need based off input from our local community and species experts. The plan will help to acquire funding from State Wildlife Grants to implement conservation efforts.  

An open forum for public comment and feedback will be held at 6pm on January 22, 2025 at Room 129 of the Jesus and Eugenia Leon Guerrero School of Business & Public Administration building at UOG. 

“In assessing the needs of the marine and terrestrial species listed within the Guam SWAP, conservationists are better equipped with the knowledge to protect and learn from these plants and animals,” said UOG CIS and SG Natural Resources Project Associate Caley Jay Chargualaf. “From there, we can work towards addressing conservation actions needed for the preservation of our island’s species

According to Chargualaf, the need to identify species to be added to the plan rests in large part with the community.  

“So long as a species holds ecological, economic, or cultural significance, we can add it  to the SWAP revision, which is why community input is so important,” added Chargualaf. “The Guam SWAP should reflect what plants and animals our community feels are important to our natural environments, our culture and our island.” 

The group plans to hold several public forums in the coming months to get more input from the community/the public.  

For more information about Guam SWAP and the upcoming forum, email guamswap2025@gmail.com or visit uog.edu/cis.

The University of Guam (UOG) is now accepting abstracts for the 16th annual Conference on Island Sustainability (CIS2025), a premier gathering for researchers, policymakers, and community members dedicated to building a more sustainable future for island communities.

The conference, themed “Solutions for our Future,” will be held from April 7-12, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Guam. It will feature a diverse range of presentations, workshops, and discussions on topics in line with the Guam Green Growth five categories of action and sustainability for islands.  

The five categories of action are:

• Healthy and Prosperous Communities
• Educated, Capable and Compassionate Island
• Sustainable Homes, Utilities and Transportation
• Thriving Natural Resources
• Sustainable Alliances

UOG President Anita Borja Enriquez, D.B.A., and Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero will serve as co-chairs for the conference. 

“The annual CIS provides opportunities to present research and applied solutions that contribute to island and global sustainability.  We invite academic and industry experts to share their discoveries or insights to a broader audience that have practical applications to bring sustainability solutions,” said Enriquez. 

The UOG Conference on Island Sustainability is an annual event that has been held since 2010. It is the largest and most comprehensive conference on island sustainability in the Pacific region, attracting participants from around the world.

“We are excited to once again host this important conference, which brings together some of the brightest minds in sustainability to come up with tangible solutions for the green future of all islands,” said Austin Shelton, Ph.D., Director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and a Co-Principal Investigator for Guam NSF EPSCoR. “This year’s theme, ‘Solutions for our Future,’ highlights the importance of long-term solutions and the research and innovations that have been developed to address the challenges facing our islands.”

Enriquez also highlights the global reach of the conference and the implications it can have on Guam’s economic industries. She added, “we will be attracting foreign, international and national experts that will shed applied research or extension ideas that are applicable. This is not just for students.  Our industries want to know what’s out there and what can help them to improve.  What can help Islands be more sustainable?”

Individuals interested in presenting their research or projects at the conference are encouraged to submit their abstracts by February 14, 2025 at 5pm CHsT. Visit uog.edu/cis2025 today to submit your abstract, register and learn more about CIS2025. 

Keynote speakers and presenters for CIS2025 will be announced soon with recent keynotes including Tetris entrepreneur and Blue Planet Alliance founder Henk Rogers, President of the Republic of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr., East-West Center president Suzanne Vares-Lum, and Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Arnold Palacios.  

CIS2025 is presented by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, The Office of the Governor of Guam, the Local2030 Islands Network, NSF SEAS Islands Alliance and Guam NSF EPSCoR.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG) have unveiled the 2025 Tide Chart and Guam Grower’s Calendars. These resources provide information for the island community, and focus on sustainable fishing and agriculture, as means to address food security on the island.

The Tide Chart Calendar features daily tide predictions for Guam, including high and low tides, sunrise and sunset times, and moon phases. This information is essential for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and beachgoing.

The Guam Grower’s Calendar provides essential information for local farmers and gardeners. It includes planting and harvesting guides for various crops based on the lunar cycle and traditional Chamorro agricultural knowledge. The calendar also features information on pest and disease management, soil health, and water conservation.

“One of the best things we can do as an island is build the knowledge base of our people, especially young people,” said Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio.  “CIS and G3 were able to marshall up the knowledge we have at the university and provide new platforms and methods for people to learn about our natural environment and all the resources we have.”

UOG Senior Vice President and Provost Sharleen Santos-Bamba Ph.D., touched on how outreach publications such as the two calendars bring the University’s reach beyond campus borders.

“The UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant for several years have increased our footprint on the island with various programs. People come and they go and there is constant movement,” said Bamba. “While people may leave, what we need to recognize is that they bring that experience and information with them, and where did they get it? At the University of Guam.”

“I always mention sustainability is about our future, and this is a great way to continue thinking about our future, with our 2025 calendars,” said Austin Shelton Ph.D., director of UOG CIS & SG.  “Thank you to all the fishers that have submitted pictures of your wonderful catches so that they can inspire all of us to go out there and know what it is we are protecting and conserving so we can continue to feed our families.”

Shelton also thanked Guahan Sustainable Culture (GSC) for the programming they provide to the community at the helm of the G3 Community Gardens and through their various workshops and classes held throughout the island. 

Michelle Crisostomo, co-founder and president of GSC, was excited for the third edition of the Grower’s Calendar, a partnership project between GSC and UOG CIS & SG.  She said, “I’m proud that this calendar continues to serve as a valuable resource for the community to be more self-sufficient and to help them grow their own food.”

The Guam Grower’s Calendars will be available for free at the Guam Green Growth Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub at CHamoru Village, and via Guahan Sustainable Culture.  The free Guam Tide Chart Calendars will also be available at the Hub and at fishing supply and tackle shops throughout the island starting Friday. 

The Calendars are produced with thanks to UOG CIS & SG, Guam NSF EPSCoR, Guahan Sustainable Culture, the Office of the Governor and Guam Green Growth.

In a collaborative effort to revitalize the island’s cultural heart, The University of Guam’s Guam Green Growth Initiative (G3) and the CHamoru Village (CV) kicked off a tree planting project in the capital of Hagåtña.

The project aims to enhance the village’s natural beauty, to provide shade while contributing to the overall health of the environment and to support local businesses. 

A variety of native fruit trees and ornamental shrubbery were planted throughout the CHamoru Village by UOG and CV leadership, their respective teams, and volunteers. 

“What we are starting here is going to help sustain our island by bringing back native trees that are very important to our culture and our economy,” said UOG president Anita Borja Enriquez, D.B.A. “We are planting the niyok (coconut), which represents sustainability, culture and that sense of community.”

The University and CHamoru Village have a long standing partnership, as the location of the Guam Green Growth Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub.  

Caroline Mason, the new CHamoru Village manager, was excited for this new program and what it will bring to the iconic location.

“Trees are the lifeline of our planet, offering cleaner air, cooler spaces, and a connection to nature that heals both the land and the spirit. CHamoru Village is proud to lead the way in restoring trees to the heart of Guam’s capital, creating a greener, more vibrant Hagåtña that honors our heritage and nurtures our future,” said Mason. 

The work continued through the week and ended with nearly 25 new trees being planted on the Village grounds.  

Austin Shelton, Ph.D., the director for the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG), who facilitates the G3 Initiative, brought a sense of the economic impact the tree planting has.

“We have a preliminary study that shows that with just the 5000 trees the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps has planted over the past few years at the Ugum Watershed with the Guam Restoration of Watersheds Initiative, we are able to put an economic value of over 2 million dollars,” said Shelton. 

This program aligns with the broader goals of Guam Green Growth and UOG CIS & SG to promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. By planting native trees, the organizations hope to inspire others to act and contribute to a greener, more resilient Guam.  

For more information on Guam Green Growth, the largest public/private partnership for Guam’s sustainable future, visit guamgreengrowth.org and follow @guamgreengrowth on social media platforms.

An upcoming workshop organized by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG) will enable the local fishing community to learn how to become community scientists by contributing data about their local catch. 

The “Community Science Workshop” will be held at the Guam Green Growth Circular Economy Makerspace & Innovation Hub’s Green Store in Hagåtña on Friday, Dec 20, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again, on Saturday, Dec 21, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Guihan for Guåhån, a UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant program, will be facilitating the workshop. The program is focused on the long-term monitoring of Guam’s reef fisheries and translating the science of sustainable fishing to the community. 

According to Leilani Sablan, Guihan for Guåhån project lead, the fishing community has the potential to improve the quality and volume of fisheries-dependent data for the island.”  

“By tackling a new approach and leveraging fisher knowledge, we can better inform science and management,” Sablan added.  

At the workshop, Sablan will share how vital fisheries dependent data is to the health of Guam’s reefs and marine species and show how to properly use fishing mats to measure and record their catches. 

Fisheries dependent data relies heavily on information provided by the fishing community, particularly in terms of measuring the fish that are caught. This information is crucial for marine biologists as it helps them assess the health of local reefs and the marine species that inhabit them. 

According to Sablan, attendees will not only learn how sharing data from their fishing catches can assist marine biologists in safeguarding our marine ecosystem, but they will also enjoy other exciting activities alongside the presentations. 

“Each fisher will have access to a specially designed catch mat. We’ll get hands-on practice on its proper use. We will have other freebies like posters, stickers, and bags.”  Sablan adds, “Our community science program has an incentive component, and you can win monthly gift certificates to fishing stores simply for sharing your catch photos using the mat.”  

People interested in participating can register for free online at: https://guamgreengrowth.org/makerspace-innovation-hub/ today.

“Participating in these workshops will really help fishers see the process that data is collected about Guam’s fisheries and how they can help,” explained Fran Castro, the associate director for operations and development at UOG CIS & SG.  “The research our team is doing will benefit the entire community, and we welcome the community to get involved.”

In addition to the workshop, Sablan says that Guihan for Guåhån has more opportunities for the fishing community to participate in and celebrate Guam’s fisheries, including the recently announced Guam Fish Fest, slated for January 18, 2025 from 9am to 12pm at CHamoru Village. 

For more information about the workshop and Guihan for Guåhån, visit uog.edu/seagrant or follow UOG CIS & SG on social media. 

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & SG) has announced the opening of its competitive research grant application process. This opportunity aims to support research projects that address critical challenges facing Micronesia’s coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.

Researchers from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States are encouraged to submit proposals for two-year projects focused on the following areas:

• Healthy coastal ecosystems
• Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
• Resilient communities and economies
• Environmental literacy and workforce development

“We are looking to fund 6-7 research projects through the region for two years, for up to $120,000 for the total project term or $60,000 each year,” explained Brett Taylor, Ph.D., the UOG CIS & SG Research Coordinator. “We are really encouraging researchers from all over Micronesia from all different disciplines to submit their application.”

Previous funded research has been conducted on Guam, the CNMI and Palau according to Phillip Cruz, the UOG CIS & SG Program Leader. 

According to Cruz, there has been an increase in the funding amount of the grants to help with higher costs in the region and other changes to expand the research competition’s ability to build capacity with students.

“We’re excited to announce that UOG Sea Grant has increased the funding this year by an additional $20k per 2-year cycle. This will increase the capacity for researchers to fund projects that tend to cost more here in Micronesia due to high shipping fees,” said Cruz.  “Additionally, we’ve added tuition as an allowable cost to provide more opportunities for students of our region to participate in research projects.”

The deadline for full proposal submissions via the new ESeagrant submission portal is Friday, February 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM CHST. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.  The project period will be February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2028.  

For more information on eligibility, application guidelines, and submission details, please visit the UOG CIS & SG website at uog.edu/seagrant or contact Taylor at taylorb@triton.uog.edu via email.