Just recently, scientists have just found a group of rare sunflower starfish in Californian waters off the coast of California. 10 years ago, scientists thought the species had been killed by a bacterium. According to CBBC, “there is now hope that this rare type of starfish can make a comeback – and they can even help underwater kelp forests recover, which is good news for our planet.”

Sunflower sea stars can grow up to the size of a 3-year-old toddler! Some people debate whether a starfish has arms or legs, but rays is the correct term. According to CBBC, “They can grow as many as 24 rays, helping them to move surprisingly fast across the ocean floor.” These starfish keep the sea urchin population in control, since sea urchins are part of their main diet. However, between 2013 and 2017, billions of sea stars were killed by what scientists now know to be a type of bacteria.

CBBC also claimed that the starfish “led to sea urchin populations flourishing and this in turn had an impact on underwater kelp forests, which urchins eat. Kelp forests provide shelter and food for over 800 species of marine life, including fish, sharks and sea otters. The forests also play a huge role in absorbing carbon dioxide, which helps fight climate change.” The new study allows scientists to study the starfish, so they could be used for recovering kelp forests.