Overview

• A study published August 4 in Nature Ecology & Evolution isolated Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 from sea star coelomic fluid and reproduced wasting symptoms in healthy sea stars under laboratory conditions.
• The decade-long investigation pivoted in 2021 to coelomic fluid analyses, enabling scientists to separate the pathogen from incidental microbes on sea star tissues.
• Sunflower sea star populations have plunged by more than 90 percent, triggering sea urchin overpopulation that has razed kelp forests and disrupted Pacific Coast marine ecosystems.
• An international collaboration involving the Hakai Institute, University of British Columbia, University of Washington and USGS culminated in this breakthrough after four years of research.
• Researchers are now developing field-ready diagnostic kits, trialing probiotics, breeding resistant sea stars and investigating how warmer ocean temperatures influence outbreak cycles.