Protection of coral reef fish delivers ecosystem-critical biocontrol of coral-eating starfish across the Great Barrier Reef
Data files
Dec 02, 2025 version files 37.95 GB
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A1.csv
2.23 GB
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C1.csv
2.23 GB
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C2.csv
2.23 GB
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coastline.csv
2.95 KB
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CoCoNet_V3_biocontrol.nlogo
205.83 KB
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CoCoNet-user-guide-and-technical-summary-v3.4.docx
3.84 MB
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F1.csv
2.23 GB
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F2.csv
2.25 GB
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F3.csv
2.23 GB
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F4.csv
2.23 GB
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H0.csv
2.23 GB
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H1.csv
2.24 GB
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H2.csv
2.23 GB
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M1.csv
2.23 GB
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M2.csv
2.23 GB
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M3.csv
2.23 GB
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M4.csv
2.23 GB
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Model_runs.xlsx
10.68 KB
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README.md
16.14 KB
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reefs2024.csv
15.75 MB
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Z1.csv
2.23 GB
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Z2.csv
2.23 GB
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Z3.csv
2.23 GB
Abstract
Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS, Acanthaster ssp.) are regarded as a pest species across the Indo-Pacific, where they are voracious predators of corals and represent one of the largest causes of coral mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We have incorporated reef fish into a metacommunity model known as the Coral Community Network (CoCoNet) model for the GBR to demonstrate the critical role that marine reserves and other fisheries regulations have played in limiting the prevalence of CoTS outbreaks and maintaining the resilience of the GBR ecosystem. This submission includes the CoCoNet model user-guide, the CoCoNet code (developed in NetLogo), coastline and reef definition files needed to run the model, and model output files (.csv) generated by the study. Each output file includes variables for each reef, in each year (annual timestep), for each run within an ensemble (runs within an ensemble vary stochastically to capture uncertainty).
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ns1rn8q4n
Description of the data and file structure
The data consists the CoCoNet model, supporting data files, documentation files, and model output files run for a range of interventions on the Great Barrier Reef related to biocontrol strategies such as conservation of predatory fish and manual control of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish.
Files and variables
File: CoCoNet-user-guide-and-technical-summary-v3.4.docx
Description: User guide for setting up and running the CoCoNet model. This includes links for downloading NetLogo multi-agent programmable modelling environment.
File: CoCoNet_V3_biocontrol.nlogo
Description: Code and graphical user interface for the CoCoNet model.
File: coastline.csv
Description: Low resolution coastline file used by the CoCoNet model.
Variables
- LON: Longitude of coastline
- LAT: Latitude of coastline
File: reefs2024.csv
Description: File defining key characteristics of the 3806 reefs that together form the Great Barrier Reef
Variables
- RM_ID: Run ensemble number
- ReefID: Reef identification number
- LAT: Latitude of reef
- LON: Longitude of reef
- GBR_NAME: Name of reef
- OldReefName: Original name of reef
- GBRMPARegion: Geographical region of reef
- Shelf_position: Offshore position of reef (inner, mid, or offshore)
- AIMS_sector: Geographical sector of reef
- GreenZone: Conservation zoning status of reef
- Priority: Priority level of reef for the crown-of-thorns starfish control program
- Reference_Area_km2: Area of reef in square kilometres
- Geom_total_km2: Alternative measure of area of reef in square kilometres
- Geom_CH_km2: Alternative measure of area of reef in square kilometres
- GeomCH_2D_Area_km2: Alternative measure of area of reef in square kilometres
- GeomCH_3D_Area_km2: Alternative measure of area of reef in square kilometres
- CullSites: Number of crown-of-thorns starfish control sites on reef
- C_oct15: Month of coral spawning
- C_con1: Estimated strength of primary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_dir1: Estimated direction of primary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_ang1: Estimated spread of primary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_dis1: Estimated distance of primary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_con2: Estimated strength of secondary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_dir2: Estimated direction of secondary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_ang2: Estimated spread of secondary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
- C_dis2: Estimated distance of secondary coral larvae dispersal (from October 2015)
Repeated for other spawning months.
- S_dec15a: Month of crown-of-thorns (CoTS) spawning (a = 1st half, b = 2nd half)
- S_con1: Estimated strength of primary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_dir1: Estimated direction of primary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_ang1: Estimated spread of primary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_dis1: Estimated distance of primary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_con2: Estimated strength of secondary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_dir2: Estimated direction of secondary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_ang2: Estimated spread of secondary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
- S_dis2: Estimated distance of secondary CoTS larvae dispersal (from December 2015)
Repeated for other spawning periods.
File: Model_runs.xlsx
Description: List of model runs, each corresponding to a biocontrol intervention scenario.
Variables
- No.: Run number
- Name: Run name
- Description: Extended description of run.
- Type of management: Classification of management approach used for that run.
File: M4.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run M4 (10 control vessels operating in green zones)
Fixed parameters
- Ensemble runs: Number of runs in ensemble
- Start year: First year of model run (1956)
- Save year: Year from which outputs were saved (1986)
- Projection year: First year that future (projected) environmental conditions were applied (2025)
- End year: Last year of model run (2075)
- Search year: Not used
- CoTS control start year: First year that CoTS control was applied
- CoTS control ecological threshold (CoTS per ha): Minimum CoTS density to deploy control on a site
- CoTS control CoTS threshold (CoTS per ha): Maximum CoTS density to deploy control on a reef
- CoTS control coral threshold (CoTS per ha): Minimum coral cover to deploy control on a reef
- CoTS vessels across GBR: Number of control vessels deployed across the GBR
- CoTS vessels in Far-northern Region: Number of control vessels deployed only in the far north region
- CoTS vessels in Northern Region: Number of control vessels deployed only in the north region
- CoTS vessels in Central Region: Number of control vessels deployed only in the central region
- CoTS vessels in Southern Region: Number of control vessels deployed only in the south region
- Catchment restoration start year: First year that catchment restoration began
- Catchment restoration timescale (years): Time for catchment restoration to be complete
- Future zoning start year: First year that additional reefs were protected from fishing
- Number of reefs included in future rezoning: Number of additional reefs protected from fishing
- Reduction in fisheries catch start year: First year that fisheries catches were reduced
- Fractional reduction in fisheries catches: Fractional reduction in catches
- Upper fish size limit start year: First year that upper size limits on catches were applied
- Lower fish size limit start year: First year that lower size limits on catches were applied
- Exclude fishing from active outbreak reefs start year: First year that fishing was excluded from reefs with CoTS outbreaks
- Emperor release start year: First year of emperor fish release program
- Number of release reefs: Number of reefs where emperor fish were released each year
- Maximum adult emperors (per ha) for release: Maximum adult emperor density on reef for a release
- Number of juvenile emperors released per reef: Number of juvenile emperor fish released each year
- Regional shading start year: First year of regional shading of reefs
- Absolute DHW reduction due to regional shading (DHW): Reduction in Degree Heating Weeks by shading
- Minimum longitude of interventions: Geographical extent of interventions
- Maximum longitude of interventions: Geographical extent of interventions
- Minimum latitude of interventions: Geographical extent of interventions
- Maximum latitude of interventions: Geographical extent of interventions
- Rubble consolidation start year: First year of consolidating rubble
- Annual number of consolidated reefs. Number of reefs where rubble is consolidated
- Minimum rubble cover threshold for consolidation: Minimum rubble cover to deploy consolidation
- Total annual consolidated area (ha): Total area of rubble that can be consolidated per year
- Thermally tolerant coral seeding start year: First year that thermally tolerant coral were outplanted
- Annual number of reefs seeded with coral: Number of reefs outplanted per year
- Maximum coral cover threshold for coral seeding: Maximum existing coral cover to outplant a reef
- Total annual area of seeded corals (ha): Total area of coral outplanting per year
- Fraction of staghorn acropora corals able to hybridise with thermally tolerant corals: level of hybridisation
- Dominance of thermally tolerant corals in setting thermal tolerance of hybrids: thermal tolerance of hybrid corals
- Coral slicks start year: First year of releasing coral slicks
- Annual number of reefs with coral slicks released: Number of reefs where coral slicks were released
- Maximum coral cover threshold for coral slicks: Maximum existing coral cover to release a coral slick
- Total annual area of slick corals (ha): Total area coral from settling of coral slicks per year
- Reef shading start year: First year of shading individual reefs
- Annual number of reefs locally shaded: Number of individual reefs shaded each year
- Fractional DHW reduction due to local shading: Fractional reduction in Degree Heating Weeks by shading individual reefs
- Ocean acidification treatment start year: First year of reducing ocean acidification on individual reefs
- Annual number of reefs treated for ocean acidification: Number of reefs where ocean acidification was reduced each year
- Fractional protection from ocean acidification: Level of ocean acidification protection applied
Output variables
- Ensemble: Run ensemble number
- Year: Year
- Reef_ID: Reef ID number
- Region_name: S=south, C=central, N=north, FN= far-north
- Shelf_position: I=inner-shelf, M=mid-shelf, O=outer-shelf
- Rezone_year: Year that zoning changes from blue (fishing allowed) to green (fishing excluded)
- Priority: Priority for control of CoTS (N=non-priority, P=priority, T=target)
- Longitude: Longitude of reef
- Latitude: Latitude of reef
- km_offshore: Distance offshore in kilometres
- Reef_sites: Number of standard CoTS control sites (~ 10 ha of coral habitat) on reef
- C_sa: Coral cover – staghorn Acropora species
- C_ta: Coral cover – tabular Acropora species
- C_mo: Coral cover – Montipora species
- C_po: Coral cover – Poritidae species
- C_fa: Coral cover – Favids species
- C_tt: Coral cover – thermally tolerant species (intervention)
- C_out_degree: Weighted out-degree (recruits dispersed to other reefs)
- Rubble: Rubble cover
- DHW: Degree heating weeks
- bleach_sa: Bleaching mortality – staghorn Acropora species
- bleach_ta: Bleaching mortality – tabular Acropora species
- bleach_mo: Bleaching mortality – Montipora species
- bleach_po: Bleaching mortality – Poritidae species
- bleach_fa: Bleaching mortality – Favids species
- bleach_tt: Bleaching mortality – thermally tolerant species
- Maximum_cyclone_category: Highest cyclone category in year
- cyclone_sa: Cyclone mortality – staghorn Acropora species
- cyclone_ta: Cyclone mortality – tabular Acropora species
- cyclone_mo: Cyclone mortality – Montipora species
- cyclone_po: Cyclone mortality – Poritidae species
- cyclone_fa: Cyclone mortality – Favids species
- cyclone_tt: Cyclone mortality – thermally tolerant species
- predate_sa: CoTS predation mortality – staghorn Acropora species
- predate_ta: CoTS predation mortality – tabular Acropora species
- predate_mo: CoTS predation mortality – Montipora species
- predate_po: CoTS predation mortality – Poritidae species
- predate_fa: CoTS predation mortality – Favids species
- predate_tt: CoTS predation mortality – thermally tolerant species
- S_1: Starfish per hectare - juveniles
- S_2: Starfish per hectare – age 2 years
- S_3: Starfish per hectare – age 3 years
- S_4: Starfish per hectare – age 4 years
- S_5: Starfish per hectare – age 5 years
- S_6: Starfish per hectare – age 6+ years
- Control_dives: Control dives on reef
- Benthic_invert: Benthic invertebrates (preying on juvenile CoTS) per hectare
- Triggerfish: Triggerfish per hectare
- E_1: Emperor fish per hectare – juveniles
- E_2: Emperor fish per hectare – age 2 years
- E_3: Emperor fish per hectare – age 3 years
- E_4: Emperor fish per hectare – age 4 years
- E_5: Emperor fish per hectare – age 5 years
- E_catch_kg: Emperor fish catch – age 3-5 years
- G_1: Grouper fish per hectare – juveniles
- G_2: Grouper fish per hectare – age 2 years
- G_3: Grouper fish per hectare – age 3 years
- G_4: Grouper fish per hectare – age 4 years
- G_5: Grouper fish per hectare – age 5 years
- G_catch_kg: Grouper fish catch – age 3-5 years
File: M3.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run M3 (10 control vessels operating in blue zones)
Variables: As above
File: H1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run H1 (Historical management restrictions to 2025 and then discontinued from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: C2.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run C2 (Extreme combination of additional zoning and manual CoTS control)
Variables: As above
File: C1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run C1 (Plausible combination of additional zoning and manual CoTS control)
Variables: As above
File: F4.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run F4 (Catch of small size class fish (<= 3 yo) set to zero from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: F3.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run F3 (Catch of large size class fish (>= 5 yo) set to zero from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: F2.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run F2 (Fishing closures on reefs with CoTS outbreaks from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: A1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run A1 (Annual release of 2000 juvenile emperors on each of the 500 GBRMP priority reefs from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: F1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run F1 (Total catch of emperors and groupers reduced to 50% of historical levels from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: H2.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run H2 (No management restrictions applied within the historical or projection periods (1956-2050))
Variables: As above
File: Z2.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run Z2 (No-take zones increased to 60% of all reefs from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: Z1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run Z1 (No-take zones increased to 40% of all reefs from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: M2.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run M2 (10 CoTS control vessels operating on reefs following GBRMP prioritisation from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: Z3.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run Z3 (No-take zones increased to 100% of all reefs from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: M1.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run M1 (5 CoTS control vessels operating on reefs following GBRMP prioritisation from 2026)
Variables: As above
File: H0.csv
Description: Fixed parameters and output variables from run H0 (Historical management restrictions (excluding manual CoTS control): approximately 4% of reefs in 1987; increasing to 30% in 2004 with reductions in fishing effort; assuming no further changes to 2050)
Variables: As above
Code/software
The Coral Community Network (CoCoNet) model has been developed within the NetLogo environment (v. 6.4.0). NetLogo is an agent based programmable modelling environment (https://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/) used widely across many science disciplines. All models developed within NetLogo are packaged within a single file with tabs for a user interface, model documentation, and model code.
Install and run CoCoNet with the following steps:
(i) Install Netlogo free of charge at https://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/6.4.0/
(ii) Upload the CoCoNet model, the coastline file, and the reef file to one folder.
(iii) Open CoCoNet and select the interface tab.
(iv) Specify run parameters within the interface including the output filename; climate scenario; size of ensemble; run period; and all the intervention parameters.
(v) Click on the “setup” button.
(vi) Click on the “go” button to run the ensemble of runs.