Sea Stars

 Sea Stars : Recently, after 12 years of extensive research, scientists have uncovered the cause of the devastating sea star wasting disease that has led to the death of over 5 billion sea stars along North America's Pacific coast since 2013.

• Key Findings: The epidemic devastated more than 20 sea star species, with the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) being hit the hardest.

o Symptoms: White lesions, twisted limbs, and rapid disintegration of body tissue.

o Causal Agent: The bacterium Vibrio pectenicida was identified as the cause of the epidemic.

o Detection Method: The bacterium was present in high concentrations in the coelomic fluid (sea star’s internal fluid) of infected individuals but absent in healthy ones.

o Ecological Disruption: The collapse of predatory sea star populations allowed sea urchins to proliferate, leading to destruction of kelp forests, critical marine habitats.