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Sea Stars Return: Restoring California's Kelp Forests
13 Oct
Summary
- Sunflower sea stars are vital for kelp forest health.
- A disease wiped out 95% of Pacific sunflower sea stars.
- Restoring sea stars aims to revive 95% of kelp forests.
Researchers are working to restore sunflower sea stars, a critically endangered species vital to the Pacific coast's kelp forests. These invertebrates, capable of growing up to 24 arms, were once abundant but have been decimated by sea star wasting syndrome.
Around 2013, a marine heatwave accelerated the disease, causing a catastrophic decline of over 90% in sunflower sea star populations. This ecological imbalance allowed purple sea urchin populations to explode, consuming kelp forests and reducing them by 95% in the last decade.
Scientists are breeding sunflower sea stars in labs and conducting field trials to assess their movement and impact on sea urchins. The goal is to reintroduce them to Monterey Bay within a few years.
Restoring sunflower sea stars is considered the most critical step to saving California's kelp forests. These forests are essential habitats, sequester carbon, and produce significant oxygen.
