Why Are So Many Starfish Dying? | National Geographic

from Mexico all the way to Alaska there

from Mexico all the way to Alaska there has been a massive die-off of sea stars

has been a massive die-off of sea stars

has been a massive die-off of sea stars the estimates are in the tens to

the estimates are in the tens to

the estimates are in the tens to hundreds of millions of sea stars have

hundreds of millions of sea stars have

hundreds of millions of sea stars have died in the last couple years it’s one

died in the last couple years it’s one

died in the last couple years it’s one of the largest mortality events

of the largest mortality events

of the largest mortality events associated with the disease that we’ve

associated with the disease that we’ve

associated with the disease that we’ve ever observed in the ocean in this

ever observed in the ocean in this

ever observed in the ocean in this region here in the sailors see there’s

region here in the sailors see there’s

region here in the sailors see there’s almost 30 different species of sea stars

almost 30 different species of sea stars

almost 30 different species of sea stars you can call it sea star or starfish for

you can call it sea star or starfish for

you can call it sea star or starfish for the same thing so we’ve been looking at

the same thing so we’ve been looking at

the same thing so we’ve been looking at the effects of sea star wasting disease

the effects of sea star wasting disease

the effects of sea star wasting disease on populations of sea stars today we’re

on populations of sea stars today we’re

on populations of sea stars today we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna survey a

gonna go out and we’re gonna survey a

gonna go out and we’re gonna survey a population of sea stars on Whidbey

population of sea stars on Whidbey

population of sea stars on Whidbey Island several years ago when we survey

Island several years ago when we survey

Island several years ago when we survey the population there there were

the population there there were

the population there there were thousands of sea stars but we’d had

thousands of sea stars but we’d had

thousands of sea stars but we’d had reports recently that individuals were

reports recently that individuals were

reports recently that individuals were starting to get sick there we’re

starting to get sick there we’re

starting to get sick there we’re interested in how that population has

interested in how that population has

interested in how that population has changed when we’re swimming around at

changed when we’re swimming around at

changed when we’re swimming around at the site and we see just an arm dangling

the site and we see just an arm dangling

the site and we see just an arm dangling off a rock no body nearby oftentimes as

off a rock no body nearby oftentimes as

off a rock no body nearby oftentimes as sea star wasting disease conditions

sea star wasting disease conditions

sea star wasting disease conditions progress than individual he’ll be

progress than individual he’ll be

progress than individual he’ll be sitting there and it’s arm just

sitting there and it’s arm just

sitting there and it’s arm just literally crawls away and rips away from

literally crawls away and rips away from

literally crawls away and rips away from the body and in addition to that we’re

the body and in addition to that we’re

the body and in addition to that we’re seeing the kind of telltale sign of the

seeing the kind of telltale sign of the

seeing the kind of telltale sign of the disease which is basically a pile of

disease which is basically a pile of

disease which is basically a pile of white goo that is the deteriorated

white goo that is the deteriorated

white goo that is the deteriorated remains of a sea star weighed over here

remains of a sea star weighed over here

remains of a sea star weighed over here several years ago stars covered the

several years ago stars covered the

several years ago stars covered the bottom diseased the walls man we found

bottom diseased the walls man we found

bottom diseased the walls man we found less than 20 today that’s just

less than 20 today that’s just

less than 20 today that’s just depressing to see

this one here is the okra star it’s kind

this one here is the okra star it’s kind of a common intertidal sea star that we

of a common intertidal sea star that we

of a common intertidal sea star that we have it’s a poster child of sea stars I

have it’s a poster child of sea stars I

have it’s a poster child of sea stars I would say and you can see the species

would say and you can see the species

would say and you can see the species has five arms it’s missing one of those

has five arms it’s missing one of those

has five arms it’s missing one of those arms here and you can see right here are

arms here and you can see right here are

arms here and you can see right here are the internal organs that are you know

the internal organs that are you know

the internal organs that are you know poking out from that particular wound

poking out from that particular wound

poking out from that particular wound one of the obvious signs the disease are

one of the obvious signs the disease are

one of the obvious signs the disease are these white lesions well that’s where

these white lesions well that’s where

these white lesions well that’s where the tissue is starting to degrade we

the tissue is starting to degrade we

the tissue is starting to degrade we came back in a couple of days we would

came back in a couple of days we would

came back in a couple of days we would find probably something that looked like

find probably something that looked like

find probably something that looked like this you know so this is the result of

this you know so this is the result of

this you know so this is the result of wasting disease to identify the cause of

wasting disease to identify the cause of

wasting disease to identify the cause of a particular disease is quite difficult

a particular disease is quite difficult

a particular disease is quite difficult and it’s even more difficult in marine

and it’s even more difficult in marine

and it’s even more difficult in marine organisms the part that I had was

organisms the part that I had was

organisms the part that I had was collecting tissue samples we normally

collecting tissue samples we normally

collecting tissue samples we normally send those tissue samples off to

send those tissue samples off to

send those tissue samples off to colleagues that will do further analysis

colleagues that will do further analysis

colleagues that will do further analysis maybe sequence DNA or look at a

maybe sequence DNA or look at a

maybe sequence DNA or look at a composition of tissue underneath

composition of tissue underneath

composition of tissue underneath microscopes the work that was done

microscopes the work that was done

microscopes the work that was done pointed to a virus that is a Denso virus

pointed to a virus that is a Denso virus

pointed to a virus that is a Denso virus causing sea stars to not be able to

causing sea stars to not be able to

causing sea stars to not be able to defend themselves very well against

defend themselves very well against

defend themselves very well against microorganisms we know so little about

microorganisms we know so little about

microorganisms we know so little about sea star wasting disease that that was a

sea star wasting disease that that was a

sea star wasting disease that that was a big step in our understanding of the

big step in our understanding of the

big step in our understanding of the disease one of the major concerns when

disease one of the major concerns when

disease one of the major concerns when you have a mass die-off is that all the

you have a mass die-off is that all the

you have a mass die-off is that all the adults which are the reproducing

adults which are the reproducing

adults which are the reproducing individuals are gone and as a result you

individuals are gone and as a result you

individuals are gone and as a result you can’t make new babies so we were able to

can’t make new babies so we were able to

can’t make new babies so we were able to identify and observe a couple juveniles

identify and observe a couple juveniles

identify and observe a couple juveniles at the site it’s always very encouraging

at the site it’s always very encouraging

at the site it’s always very encouraging to find the juveniles the hope is that

to find the juveniles the hope is that

to find the juveniles the hope is that those individuals grow up unaffected by

those individuals grow up unaffected by

those individuals grow up unaffected by the disease and can repopulate those

the disease and can repopulate those

the disease and can repopulate those sites