Sea Stars, one of the ocean’s most iconic species, have been slowly dying off en masse since 2013. The die-off, which is approaching mass extinction levels, left researchers scratching their heads, wondering what could’ve caused it.
They might finally know the culprit: a microscopic bacterial relative of cholera, specifically Vibrio pectenicida, as reported by The New York Times.
Dubbed sea star wasting disease (SSWD), the affliction has been leaving starfish with open lesions before turning their bodies into a gel-like substance. The outbreak began on the Pacific Coast and evolved into one of the largest marine die-offs ever recorded, affecting over 20 species and transforming vibrant kelp ecosystems into desolate graveyards.
After years of false leads, scientists in the U.S. and Canada joined forces to find the cause and, hopefully, put a stop to its sea star killing spree. They combed through sea star samples like forensic experts, eventually finding high concentrations of V. pectenicida only in the sick ones.
Turns Out There Is a Reason Sea Stars Are Melting—And It’s Not Good
In lab conditions, they exposed healthy sea stars to the bacteria, and those poor echinoderms melted down within days. It was essentially a confession room interrogation.
As we’ve recently seen in separate stories involving the removal of an animal from its natural habitat, the ripple effects of sea star deaths include exploding sea urchin populations and collapsing kelp forests, ecosystems vital to the marine food web. One species, Pycnopodia helianthoides, lost 90 percent of its population. Again, extinction-level numbers.
Knowing the culprit opens new doors. Scientists could potentially identify resistant genes in surviving sea stars and breed them in captivity to keep the species alive and thriving. At the same time, researchers figure out how to stop the bacteria’s spread in ocean water, because they still don’t know how that works. It could be warming waters or something in their food supply, or maybe it spreads by touch?
There’s still a lot to figure out, but at least now there is hope.
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