Read the following article describing a current marine issue.
Household vinegar advances the fight against crown of thorns starfish threat on Great Barrier Reef
ABC North Qld
By Kathleen Calderwood and Isobel Roe
Crown of thorns starfish (COTS) is a pest which eats coral tissues, posing a huge threat to the reef. Australian
Institute of Marine Science research showed coral cover on surveyed reefs had declined by about 50% over
the past 30 years, with COTS responsible for almost half of that decline. James Cook University scientist Lisa
Boström-Einarsson searched for an eradication method for COTS that was cheap, easily available and safe
for everything other than the starfish themselves. Her method involved injecting the COTS with 20 milliliters
of household vinegar. The trial saw a 100% kill rate within 48 hours of injection. "I tried alcohol [first] and that
did not work very well, and then I heard some rumors that some people had used vinegar but had not had
very good results," Ms Boström-Einarsson said. "So I refined the methods a little bit and then it turned out to
work really well." Ms Boström-Einarsson said the starfish were mostly water inside and could not tolerate the
acidity of the vinegar. "The acid basically just melts their insides," she said. "It is quite dramatic the way they
go and within 24 hours there is basically just slime left-it is not pretty."
Explain the scientific procedure followed in the article by describing the following: (4 points)
1. State the problem
2. Identify a hypothesis from the article
3. Identify the procedures used in the experiment
4. Describe the results