Starfish:A Coral-Eating Hazard and the Need for Reef Restoration

In addition to coral farming, warm oceans could gain a natural hazard: starfish that eat coral over time. These would act as passive but persistent threats to reef ecosystems. Starfish infestations would originate in small patches of warm oceans, where a Starfish Spawning Heart lies buried under the sand. These hidden blocks spawn starfish with an active radius of 24, 32(change it to your liking? blocks depending on the infestation’s strength.Once active, starfish slowly consume coral, breaking down two coral blocks every 30 in-game minutes. Rather than behaving like typical mobs, they appear as overlay-style textures (like glowing lichen), visually spreading across reef surfaces and converting vibrant coral into dead coral blocks. Over time, they leave behind barren reef zones players must identify and repair. To restore reefs, players can use swords, shears, brushes), or a new low-durability grafter tool crafted from copper in a shovel-like recipe. This item is cheap to make and is used to extract coral fragments from living coral, which can then be planted onto dead coral or stone. Fragments are placed as “tiny coral blocks”—small, non-rotating heads that grow under the right conditions (light, water, warm biome). This creates a gameplay loop: find infected zones, destroy the spawning heart, gather fragments, and regrow the reef—a rewarding new underwater mechanic.