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Sunflower Sea Stars Are Set to Get Protection Under the Endangered Species Act


Federal officials say the sunflower starfish, the giant starfish that until recently thrived in the seas up and down the west coast of North America, is threatened with extinction and needs to be protected under the law. Endangered Species Act.

Starfish have been ravaged by a wasting syndrome linked to the effects of climate change. It killed more than 90% of sunflower starfish between 2013 and 2017, in what officials describe as the largest outbreak of marine wildlife disease on record. The disease begins with lethargy and damage, followed by tissue breakdown. Starfish’s limbs fall off and they die within a few days, leaving behind a sticky pile.

Sadie Wright, a protected species biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who worked on the assessment of the condition of the sunflower starfish, said: think it could be exacerbated by increasing ocean temperatures. Rapid changes in temperature, another consequence of climate change, also play a role.

The collapse of starfish appears to be a factor behind the domino effect of ecological destruction in kelp forests in California. Sunflower starfish eat sea urchins, which have skyrocketed in numbers since the starfish disappeared. Scientists believe that large numbers of sea urchins began to eat kelp in excess, contributing to the kelp forest dying.

“When you remove the starfish, you see cascading effects,” says Ms.

Sunflower starfish can have about 24 limbs and be more than three feet, about a meter, from end to end. They have been recorded from Baja California to the Aleutian Islands. Although scientists estimate that 600 million individuals still exist worldwide, that number accounted for less than 10% of the abundance before 2013. Scientists are currently struggling to find them. They’re south of Washington, Ms. Wright said.

This species has been considered critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

About 20 other starfish species are also affected by wasting syndrome, although the sunflower starfish is thought to be one of the hardest hit.

The proposal to list sunflower starfish as threatened follows a petition in 2021 by the Center for Biodiversity, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Miyoko Sakashita, the center’s ocean program director, said: “I’m delighted that the sunflower will receive the protection of the Endangered Species Act. “A climate-induced pandemic has almost wiped them out, and I’m optimistic that the threatened list will help them recover.”

One possible way is to provide new funding to study the mysterious pathogen that scientists believe is behind the wasting syndrome. The listing decision could also lead to more protections from water pollution, dredging and other coastal construction projects.

“The federal government will also have to develop a recovery plan for starfish, which means more focus on disease prevention and even climate change,” Ms. Sakashita said.

A final decision will be made next year. If listed, the sunflower starfish would be the first species of starfish to receive federal protection.

“A lot of people are familiar with this species, which is something they saw when they were exploring tidal pools as children,” Ms. Wright said. “So it would come as a big surprise that this once-popular species is now being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.”

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