Rare Sea Stars Make a Comeback

On June 23rd, 2026, scientists found a group of healthy Sunflower sea stars in Californian water off the coast of the United States. The discovery comes ten years after the Sunflower species killed by a disease. Because of the disease, between 2013 and 2017, billions of sea stars were killed. that this rare type of sea star can make a comeback.

Sunflower sea stars are , or about the average of a three year old. They have called rays. They can have as many as 24 rays for helping them move surprisingly fast across the ocean floor. These star fish are not technically fish.

They can also help the underwater environment. They also used to play an important role in the ocean’s ecosystem. The sea star helped to keep the sea urchin population under control. Sea urchins are the main part of their diet.