Wildlife

Sea star numbers soar in Oregon, 2 years after wasting disease hit

Researchers have recently recorded "unprecedented" numbers of juvenile sea stars along the Oregon Coast two years after a sea star wasting epidemic decimated populations. However, scientists cautioned that the uptick in numbers does not mean that the disease is no longer a threat to sea stars.

One factor leading to the high survival rate could be an increased availability of food, researchers said. Young and mature sea stars eat the same food, namely larval and juvenile barnacles and mussels, but there was less competition because the adult population had declined so greatly.

The sea star wasting disease first appeared in Oregon in April 2014, and had spread through the coast by that summer, the study said. The disease was found along coasts from Alaska to Baja California.

Sea stars developed lesions and deflated, eventually losing arms and disintegrating. Over the course of 15 months, the disease cut the sea star population by 63 to 84 percent at varying spots along the Oregon Coast, according to a news release. The population of the purple ochre sea star was reduced by 80 to 99 percent.

Although the latest news appears positive, a second phase of the wasting disease could prove detrimental to sea stars and marine habitats as a whole, researchers said. The purple ochre star particularly is considered a key marine species due to its influence on ecosystems.