Bacteria and excessive fertilization turn the starfish into a sticky substance

It began off the western coast of North America in 2013. Sunflower sea star and other types of sea stars have died a million times – or rather, some of them simply melt in mud. A severe loss to the ecosystem. Since then, scientists in other parts of the world have observed such stock collapses, the cause of which has long been unknown. Viruses in particular have been suspected, but a study by Citlalli Aquino of San Francisco State University and her team points to a different direction. In Frontiers in Microbiology, Aquino and Co. describes how a combination of environmental pollution and bacteria destroys starfish..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *