Unraveling the Mystery of the Vanishing Starfish

For over ten years, a strange sickness has been wiping out starfish along the Pacific coast. Now, scientists have finally figured out what's been happening. It turns out, a sneaky bacteria called Vibrio pectenicida is to blame.

The Disease

This bacteria has been causing something called sea star wasting disease. It's not pretty. Healthy starfish usually have nice, straight arms. But when they get sick, their arms twist, get covered in white spots, and then fall off. It's like watching them melt away.

The Investigation

At first, scientists thought a virus might be the cause. But it turned out that the virus they found was actually just living harmlessly inside healthy starfish. They had to dig deeper to find the real culprit.

The breakthrough came when researchers looked closely at the fluid inside the starfish, called coelomic fluid. That's where they found the bacteria causing all the trouble. It's not easy to track down diseases in the ocean, but this team did some clever detective work.

The Solution

Now that they know what's causing the problem, scientists can start thinking about how to help. The sunflower sea star, one of the biggest and most affected species, is now critically endangered. But there might be ways to protect the remaining healthy ones, maybe even move them to safer places or breed them in captivity.

The Bigger Picture

This bacteria is also a sign of climate change. It likes warmer water, and as the ocean heats up, these outbreaks could get worse. So, understanding how warming waters affect sea star wasting disease is the next big step.

The Importance of Starfish

Starfish are important. They keep sea urchin populations in check. Without enough starfish, sea urchins can multiply and destroy kelp forests. These forests are like the rainforests of the ocean, providing homes and food for all sorts of sea creatures.

The Future

So, fixing this problem isn't just about saving starfish. It's about keeping the whole ocean ecosystem healthy. Scientists are hopeful that with this new knowledge, they can bring back the starfish and restore the kelp forests.