Sea Stars’ Epic Comeback

Scientists recently discovered 18 sunflower sea stars, a species of sea stars that had been thought to be wiped out by a disease. This appearance marks the first in years and represents a new opportunity to help save the planet from global warming.

These starfish are characterized by their huge size and many rays. Sunflower sea stars can grow undefined, which help them speed along the ocean floor. They dine on a variety of foods; however, they mostly stick to sea urchins.

These sea stars play a crucial role in maintaining the ocean floor kelp forests, which pull carbon dioxide out of the air. They do so by consuming sea urchins, which feed on the kelp. When the sea stars disappeared, the undefined, according to an article from UC Santa Barbara. This surge in the sea urchin population led to kelp forests becoming severely depleted.

To help the sea stars repopulate more quickly, scientists in California are using labs to breed them. They do this using electric pot stirrers to keep the baby sea stars from eating each other and to keep them interested in the provided food. According to NOAA, the Pacific Coast Ocean Restoration Initiative and its partners undefined to expand their laboratories and upgrade their equipment to support their mission to restore and discover more sea stars.

Nobody knows what the future of these sea stars will look like, but the public is trusting that they are in the best possible hands of experts.