VOLUNTEER scuba divers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local government units in Sarangani Province lead the underwater collection of the crown of thorns (COTs), which preys on the coral reefs in Sarangani Bay, one of the country's most biodiversity-rich protected seascapes.

One of Mindanao's richest bodies of water and diving haven, the bay has been experiencing occasional outbreaks of COTs over the past few years due to the loss of its natural predators such as the Triton trumpet, Napoleon wrasse, white-spotted pufferfish and titan triggerfish which keep its population in check, as well as the rise in sea surface temperature due to climate change.