Acanthaster and the Coral Reef: A Theoretical Perspective

The mathematical analysis of the evolution of the crown-of-thorns starfish, which is found on Indo-Pacific coral reefs, was the central topic that brought together mathematicians, ecologists and oceanographers in an attempt to create a new paradigm for understanding this complex phenomenon. A wide variety of mathematical approaches are discussed in this text, from traditional qualitative stability analysis to work on Finsler spaces, grammars and adaptive systems. Together, these techniques point to a better understanding of the dynamics and stability of coral reef ecosystems.