Do not touch the starfish

Catching starfish to take photos of ‘virtual life’ is a hobby of many tourists. Few people know that the act of bringing starfish out of the water not only kills this species but also contributes to the destruction of the environment.

Virtual life and death! Recently on many travel forums, the story of a tourist posting photos of starfish dying dry due to being taken ashore to take pictures of “virtual life” in Rach Vem, Phu Quoc has attracted a lot of attention. Most of the comments are outraged by the ignorant actions of some young people that lead to the undue death of the marine species that is the symbol of this sea. Getting starfish ashore has become a “habit” of some tourists. On websites, many accounts constantly share check-in pictures of celebrities who use starfish as virtual living tools without knowing that just a few dozen seconds from the water surface, the starfish will die now. Prof. Dr. Do Cong Thung, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Marine Resources and Environment, said that starfish breathe through the legs and papillae (tiny particles spread all over the body). These tubular legs and papillae are equipped with a very thin layer of tissue, allowing gases to pass easily, whether inhaling oxygen (O2) or exhaling carbon dioxide (CO2), in a process known as is diffuse. Unlike fish with only two gills, the starfish is covered with papillae throughout the body. In other words, their “noses” or “gills” are scattered all over the body surface. When not in water, starfish not only cannot absorb the necessary oxygen. Therefore, they cannot remove carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (CO) from the body. This leads to carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning and causes death. Most starfish can only hold their breath for less than 30 seconds. Sea stars, sea cucumbers and corals, are naturally born with fragile, fragile creatures. Just a light touch can hurt them. The act of bringing them out of the water is a brutal act of killing this endemic aquatic species. “When taken out of the water, starfish will die within about a minute. The act of catching starfish out of the water to take pictures is very dangerous. It threatens the life of this species. Beaches with starfish need to give warnings, otherwise starfish species will be in danger of scarcity and extinction, losing the value of marine habitat “, Prof.Dr Do Cong Thung said. And Mr. Nguyen Linh Ngoc, a marine conservation expert in Phu Quoc, said that many tourists take starfish out of the water to take pictures, then drop them right away. But when left in the sun on the shore, they die quickly. Starfish have no economic value like sea cucumber or seahorse. Starfish are normal seafood objects. It is not an ecological indicator animal of little scientific value. It is a crustacean that no one eats because it doesn’t have meat. Tourists like mainly the shape it looks like a star. In terms of marine conservation, there is also no regulation prohibiting the exploitation of starfish because this species is not included in the conservation list. But starfish create beautiful scenery for the marine environment, attracting huge visitors. Therefore, the protection of starfish mainly depends on the awareness of visitors as well as reminders of the resorts. An important role in the ecosystem Vietnam has 60 different species of starfish distributed along the coast from North to South, Nha Trang Bay alone has discovered 20 species belonging to 16 genera, 11 families and 4 orders. In Cat Ba, Hai Phong, a starfish beach with an area of ​​up to 5 hectares is home to shallow trench starfish and deep-trench starfish with a high density of about 20 individuals / m2. Starfish food is fish, snails, clams, squid, shrimp and other molluscs. Some starfish species have the ability to turn their stomachs out to cover large foods and then digest themselves outside of their bodies. Vietnam has species such as starfish, blue starfish, pillow starfish, crunchy starfish … Each different species has a certain role, contributing to the general ecosystem, especially creating continuity in the chain. Food that once this food chain is destroyed will have a little or no impact on an entire ecosystem. Mr. Le Chien, Head of Sasa Marine Life Rescue Center, said that touching, holding, touching and catching starfish and sea creatures ashore is extremely offensive. It is being strongly condemned in many countries around the world. When people touch marine organisms, bacteria and chemicals from sunscreen, soap … on their hands can attack directly on their soft tissue. Organisms that have never been exposed and that do not have immune systems to bacteria from humans will be severely affected, even if they may not die immediately. In addition, starfish are only capable of sun exposure for a certain period of time, so bringing them ashore is extremely dangerous. In addition, not all marine life is harmless to humans. If you touch the wrong starfish species, people can be burned, shocked and killed. Not to mention there are many other toxic species such as snail. This job is also playing with their lives and loved ones. Prof.Dr Do Cong Thung said, starfish is a key species (keystone species) in the ecosystem. They are omnivores that feed mainly on scavengers, molluscs, small fish, algae or organic residues. There are more than 1,900 species of starfish around the world, living in all depths of the oceans. They play a very important role in the organic circulation, operating the ecosystem in which they exist. Therefore, the absence or degradation of starfish can lead to the collapse of the marine ecosystem.