Infographic: Sunflower Sea Star Wasting Syndrome Pandemic

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Causes and impacts of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome

• An unknown, virus-sized pathogen, which research is ongoing to isolate and identify
• Transmitted through direct contact among stars and indirect contact via water
• Healthy individuals detect sick individuals, and actively flee away from them
• Many sea star species affected, but sunflower sea stars most severely impacted

What triggered the pandemic? Is the syndrome still a concern?

• Ultimate cause remains unknown, but linked with known stressful conditions
• Stressors include rapid change in temperature, decreased pH, pollution, and other physical and chemical parameters
• Populations have not bounced back, showing stressors remain and Sea Star Wasting Syndrome is still a threat

How does the syndrome progress?

• White lesions appear on the star
• Arm tips curl, bend, then break off – and may crawl away!
• Star dissolves into pile of gooey skeletal remains within days of first externally visible symptoms

Research and Monitoring Underway

• Research seeks to identify the causative agent of the syndrome using clinical trials Photos: Janna Nichols
• Natural resource managers and scientists continue to monitor outbreaks and population status
• You can report observations of both healthy and sick sea stars at https://marinedb.ucsc.edu/ssd/public/observation-log/create