ACUISTAR, strategies to appraise the starfish

Starfishes are causing problems in the Galician coast. They are the main predator of bivalve mollusks, mussels and razor clams, involving a risk for the seafood industry in Galicia. The changes in the temperature and salinity of the sea and the decrease in the amount of phytoplankton ingested by bivalves cause an imbalance in the ecosystem which implies an overgrowth of starfish.

ACUISTAR‘s main objective is to assess  the value of this species to carry out population control, maintaining the sustainability of the coastal marine ecosystems where the shellfish production areas are located.