The Sea Star Saga continues

Haven’t blipped these sea stars for awhile -mostly because they haven’t yet returned here.    It was 3 years ago in June 2013 that the Sea Star Wasting Disease showed up and gradually affecting the whole west coast of North america from Alaska to Mexico.  Altho it has been seriously studied by all sorts of disciplines, there still is no definitive cause!!   There are relationships…a virus that is present anyway but why act up now, warm water, more acidic ocean, but no absolute proof to any one factor.  I think this is amazing.  Also the effects on the ecosystem.  Sea stars eat mussels and sea urchins so there are more of them, the sea urchins are eating the kelp which provide habitat for lots of little sea creatures.  I’ve harangued before but can’t get to counting stars in my “alloted “ space as the tide isn’t low enough when I’m here or awake.  But today in this rather “abstract” photo which appealed to me, here are the only ones I see -on the pilings for our dock.  (Well, I saw 2 near the tide line on the beach.)  They look healthy and whole to me but I’ll keep watching.  There are reports of lots of juveniles in Oregon and other areas. 



More if you are interested, from a conference held at the Seattle Aquarium about this disease in January with lots of links….

The extra:  change in weather coming in this evening......over this dock