Now Reading: Hidden colony of 18 giant sea stars found off California coast
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Hidden colony of 18 giant sea stars found off California coast
Scientists have discovered 18 sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) off the California coast, the largest and southernmost surviving population found since a disease wiped out more than 99 percent of the species…
The Story in Brief
Scientists have discovered 18 sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) off the California coast, the largest and southernmost surviving population found since a disease wiped out more than 99 percent of the species a decade ago. The colony was located in June 2025 during a diving expedition led by researchers from Sonoma State University.
The sunflower sea star is a ravenous predator that once controlled populations of purple sea urchins. Without them, urchins exploded and destroyed more than 90 percent of West Coast kelp forests by 2017. Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently identified a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida as the cause of the 2013 die-off, which was worsened by marine heatwaves. The discovery of the hidden colony offers a chance to breed the species in captivity and restore the kelp ecosystems.
The Indian Opinion
The coverage of the hidden 'seasquatch' lair leans heavily on hope, but the real test lies in numbers. A single colony of 18 starfish, however thrilling, cannot alone restore an ecosystem where 99.9 percent of its predators vanished and 90 percent of kelp forests have been wiped out. The hype around a 'mystery colony' risks glossing over the hard work ahead: breeding these 18 stars in captivity and scaling up thousands for release. Will the coalition actually secure enough federal funding to maintain the breeding programme long-term? That is the real question this discovery has not yet answered.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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