Marine biologist removes huge coral-eating starfish from coral reef

Footage has emerged of a marine biologist removing a huge Crown of Thorns starfish from a coral reef.

The video, shot last month in the Indian Ocean off the Maldives, shows the diver putting the multiple-armed starfish into a bag to protect the reef.

"When 100/1000s [of these starfish] invade a coral reef huge areas of reef can become decimated by the starfish," the filmer wrote online.