And with treating bats with fungicide or a mass cull an impossibility because of the sheer numbers involved, a solution is a long way off.

BBC: White-nose syndrome: Bats hit by killer disease

Efforts to cull the starfish have had some success, but a better approach would be to reduce agricultural run-off and thus cut the banquet enjoyed by the larvae.

ECONOMIST: The Great Barrier Reef: Dr De��ath v the killer starfish | The