West Coast Starfish Babies Are Back In Full Force After A Massive Die-Off
Now is a good time to go check out some tide pools.
Baby starfish are coming back to tide pools on the Pacific Coast in huge numbers after a disease nearly killed off the entire population.
Elaine Thompson / AP
The mass die-off of the stars on the West Coast, which was first observed in 2014, was due to what scientists called "sea star wasting disease."
Handout . / Reuters
The stars "developed twisted arms, then showed deflation and lesions, and eventually lost arms and the ability to grip onto the substrate before finally disintegrating completely," according to a statement from Oregon State University.
The disease eventually reduced the overall sea star population by 63-84%, while one species was reduced by 80-99%.
Scientists believe the disease has a "multi-faceted cause," with ocean acidification one theory experts are exploring.
"They just had an extraordinary survival rate into the juvenile stage," the study's lead author Bruce Menge said. "Whether they can make it into adulthood and replenish the population without succumbing to sea star wasting disease is the big question."