My coworkers worked on this research! I wasn't involved in this project, but I'm so stoked to see this making the rounds. Everyone involved is deservedly proud of this one.
A big part of what makes me happy is that this seems quite niche to me, but it's getting a ton of attention which suggests people care about this more than I realized. That feels good! This is a huge deal for biodiversity in a huge swath of the Pacific Ocean.
It’s been really sad to watch the decline of sea stars the past 10+ years. Tide-pooling just hasn’t been the same at Cannon Beach or the San Juan Islands. It’s very encouraging to pin down the culprit.
I recall seeing a good amount of ochre stars the last time I was over at Pacific City a few months back. I took it as a good sign. Didn't see any sun stars, but those tend to be further out anyway - need to have a really low tide.
Well that’s fun. The seastars are ravaged by Vibrio pectenicida in the same genus that includes human pathogens like the bacteria that causes cholera and various flesh eating bacteria that can infect through undercooked seafood. The latter have even begun to eat plastic and multiply in sargassum [1] so watch those cuts when swimming in Florida!
My coworkers worked on this research! I wasn't involved in this project, but I'm so stoked to see this making the rounds. Everyone involved is deservedly proud of this one.
A big part of what makes me happy is that this seems quite niche to me, but it's getting a ton of attention which suggests people care about this more than I realized. That feels good! This is a huge deal for biodiversity in a huge swath of the Pacific Ocean.
It’s been really sad to watch the decline of sea stars the past 10+ years. Tide-pooling just hasn’t been the same at Cannon Beach or the San Juan Islands. It’s very encouraging to pin down the culprit.
I recall seeing a good amount of ochre stars the last time I was over at Pacific City a few months back. I took it as a good sign. Didn't see any sun stars, but those tend to be further out anyway - need to have a really low tide.
Well that’s fun. The seastars are ravaged by Vibrio pectenicida in the same genus that includes human pathogens like the bacteria that causes cholera and various flesh eating bacteria that can infect through undercooked seafood. The latter have even begun to eat plastic and multiply in sargassum [1] so watch those cuts when swimming in Florida!
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36129757
Vibrio infections are also lethal for humans.
Some are able to easily overpower our immune systems.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibriosis
Study link
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02797-2
Couldn't they just do the initial test with 5? Maybe 10.. Why we gotta disintegrate 19 more of these fuzzy little guys? :|