#sunflower-sea-star

2 articles

Sea Star Wasting Disease: The Epidemic That Starved a Coast

From 2013, sea star wasting liquefied stars from Alaska to Mexico and erased the sunflower star, a keystone urchin predator. The science, and the kelp fallout.

Dr. Mara Ellison · September 26, 2026

A large multi-armed sunflower sea star, golden orange with dozens of rays, spread across a rocky reef ledge in clear sunlit water

Encyclopedia9 min read

Sunflower Sea Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides): Species Profile

The sunflower sea star was the kelp forest's great urchin hunter. Wasting disease erased billions of them — and the consequences reshaped coastlines.

Dr. Mara Ellison · September 25, 2026

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