Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Extinction of Oregon Starfish Expected Due to Sea Star Wasting Epidemic
http://ecowatch.com/2014/06/05/extinction-starfish-sea-star-wasting-epidemic/
Extinction of Oregon Starfish Expected Due to Sea Star Wasting Epidemic
Oregon State University | June 5, 2014 10:16 am
Just in the past two weeks, the incidence of sea star wasting syndrome has exploded along the Oregon Coast and created an epidemic of historic magnitude, one that threatens to decimate the entire population of purple ochre sea stars.
Prior to this, Oregon had been the only part of the West Coast that had been largely spared this devastating disease.
The ochre sea star, which is the species most heavily affected by the disease in the intertidal zone, may be headed toward localized extinction in Oregon, according to researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) who have been monitoring the outbreak. As a keystone predator, its loss could disrupt the entire marine intertidal ecosystem.
Researchers say this is the first time that die-offs of sea stars, more commonly known as starfish, have ever been identified at one time along such a wide expanse of the West Coast, and the sudden increase in Oregon has been extraordinary.
<snip>
Extinction of Oregon Starfish Expected Due to Sea Star Wasting Epidemic
Oregon State University | June 5, 2014 10:16 am
Just in the past two weeks, the incidence of sea star wasting syndrome has exploded along the Oregon Coast and created an epidemic of historic magnitude, one that threatens to decimate the entire population of purple ochre sea stars.
Prior to this, Oregon had been the only part of the West Coast that had been largely spared this devastating disease.
The ochre sea star, which is the species most heavily affected by the disease in the intertidal zone, may be headed toward localized extinction in Oregon, according to researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) who have been monitoring the outbreak. As a keystone predator, its loss could disrupt the entire marine intertidal ecosystem.
Researchers say this is the first time that die-offs of sea stars, more commonly known as starfish, have ever been identified at one time along such a wide expanse of the West Coast, and the sudden increase in Oregon has been extraordinary.
<snip>
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 1634 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (13)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Extinction of Oregon Starfish Expected Due to Sea Star Wasting Epidemic (Original Post)
bananas
Jun 2014
OP
Geez, wonder why this is happening? Nothing amiss in the Pacific we've been told.
Mnemosyne
Jun 2014
#1
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)1. Geez, wonder why this is happening? Nothing amiss in the Pacific we've been told.
The Stranger
(11,297 posts)2. This kills me. Where are the scientists and biologists on this?
We need to find an answer. We need to do something.
cascadiance
(19,537 posts)3. I wonder if the fresh water coming out of the Columbia River there might be affecting the spread....
of this or nonspread of it. Interesting that it was noticed first in the Puget sound area of Washington, but hadn't been as much spread along the Oregon coast.
There are some interesting videos on this story on this page from a month ago, that makes it sound like we're due soon for some announcement from scientists studying this what might be causing it.
http://earthfix.ijpr.org/water/article/divers-document-sea-star-wasting-syndrome-off-oreg/
kristopher
(29,798 posts)4. How much do we really know ...
...about leaks at Hanford and the hydrology of the region?
They_Live
(3,236 posts)5. Or there's the fracking chemicals being dumped into the Pacific...
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)6. Another casualty of Nuke power
?