Scientists document rare sunflower sea star population along Sonoma coast
Discovery by Sonoma State researchers and partners offers a unique opportunity to study recovery of a species devastated by sea star wasting disease
Researchers from Sonoma State University and partner organizations recently documented a previously unknown group of sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) along the Sonoma County coast. Once common in California's kelp forests, sunflower stars experienced catastrophic declines following the sea star wasting epidemic beginning in 2013 and have been largely absent from Northern California for nearly a decade.
The discovery, chronicled in this National Geographic story, was made through ongoing kelp forest monitoring efforts led by the Hughes Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab directed by Dr. Brent Hughes at Sonoma State University. Follow-up surveys culminated in "Pycnopalooza" – a collaborative effort that brought together 25 scientific divers representing universities, Tribal scientists, nonprofits, agencies, and conservation groups to document the stars, collect ecological data, and obtain tissue samples to better understand the genetic relationships among individuals within this newly documented group.
The discovery, including both adult and juvenile sunflower stars, offers a rare opportunity to study recolonization in California. The site may represent the southernmost known group of sunflower stars on the Pacific Coast and offers encouraging signs for kelp forest ecosystems, where sunflower stars may play a critical role as predators of sea urchins.
“The discovery of recovering sunflower sea stars would not have happened without the monitoring and research in kelp forests by the Hughes Lab over the last six years,” Hughes said. “It speaks to the importance of long-term monitoring leading to ecological surprises that shape our understanding of how ecosystems function, especially when it involves imperiled ecosystems and their top predators.”