A vast underwater pandemic has killed billions of sea stars, with the sunflower star species being one of the hardest hit, losing around 90% of its population.
The Samish Indian Nation, in collaboration with University of Washington researchers, has been working to bring the species back from the brink of extinction by hand-rearing sunflower stars in a lab and releasing them into the wild.
Sunflower Star Conservation
The conservation effort involves a team of divers and researchers who collect and care for the lab-reared sunflower stars, which are then released into the ocean, specifically in the San Juan Islands, where the species was once abundant.
The sunflower star is considered a keystone species, playing a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ocean ecosystem, and its loss could have significant impacts on the environment.
Researchers have identified the Vibrio bacteria as the cause of the sea-star wasting disease, which has been exacerbated by ocean heat waves amplified by climate change.
Implications and Next Steps
The release of the lab-reared sunflower stars is a significant step towards conserving the species, but more work needs to be done to protect the sunflower star and other sea creatures from the impacts of climate change.
The Biden administration has proposed protecting sunflower stars under the Endangered Species Act, but action has been delayed, prompting a lawsuit from the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity to push for protection.
The conservation of the sunflower star species has broader significance, as it highlights the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and the importance of preserving biodiversity in our oceans.
