Shooting for the Stars | In Person (Ryan Ranch)

Course Description:

In 2013, sea star wasting disease (SSWD) began to devastate sea star populations along the West Coast. The sunflower star, once abundant from Alaska to Baja California, was among the hardest hit, becoming extinct in local shallow coastal waters. As a keystone predator, sunflower stars play a vital role in regulating sea urchin populations and maintaining healthy kelp forests. Without them, urchin populations exploded, leading to widespread kelp forest decline. Learn how Sunflower Star Laboratory in Moss Landing, in collaboration with universities, aquariums, and research labs, is working to restore this balance by developing aquaculture protocols and coordinating captive breeding for sunflower stars.