Sea star missing legs. Photo from UCSC |
What is wrong with them?
Up and down the Pacific west coast, sea stars have a disease called Sea Star Wasting Disease. It can kill a group of sea stars within just 24 hours or a few days.
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with
A leather star (Dermasterias imbricata) just beginning to show signs of the disease, seen on San Juan Island in October 2013; Photo: Keith Rootsaert |
With an adult, you can participate in observing the sea star wasting symptoms. Visit www.seastarwasting.org.