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3 months ago
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If you’ve spent time tide pooling along the West Coast lately, you may have noticed something troubling: sea stars with twisted arms, lesions, or bodies that seem to be melting away. This distressing sight is a trademark of Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD), a sickness that has devastated sea star populations along the Pacific Coast of North America since mass die-offs occurred in 2013. Now, for the first time, scientists, including those at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC), have solved a decades-long mystery and identified the cause of this devastating disease.
In 2013, SSWD emerged along the Pacific Coast as one of the largest marine epidemics ever recorded. Sea stars, which play an important role in marine ecosystems, began exhibiting symptoms such as white lesions, decaying tissue, and a general weakening of the body. Over the course of just a few days, stars then appeared to “melt” as their limbs twisted and broke off, killing and laying waste to entire populations. This catastrophic loss affected at least 20 species of sea stars, including some of the most iconic, like the sunflower sea star.
The cause of the disease has eluded scientists for years. Researchers speculated that the cause may have been a viral infection, or that there was a link between the disease, higher ocean temperatures, and heat waves. The mystery remained unsolved—until now.
