How sea star wasting disease transformed the West Coast’s ecology and economy

By: Rebecca Vega Thurber, University of California, Santa Barbara, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 3, 2026

Words: 1,427

Last Updated: 6 days, 20 hours ago

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By Rebecca Vega Thurber, University of California, Santa Barbara

Before 2013, divers on North America’s west coast rarely saw purple sea urchins. The spiky animals, which are voracious kelp eaters, were a favorite food of the coast’s iconic sunflower sea stars. The giant sea stars, recognizable for their many arms, kept the urchin population in check, with the help of sea otters, lobsters and some large fishes.

That balance allowed the local kelp forests to …

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