
#126: New Hope for Sunflower Sea Stars
From Nature's Archive by Michael Hawk
February 17, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
This episode revisits the Sunflower Star Lab to discuss the hopeful recovery of sunflower sea stars, unique keystone species in marine ecosystems.
Some of the most consistent feedback I get about the podcast is the message of hope that rings through. Today’s episode takes the message of hope up a level by revisiting the folks at the Sunflower Star Lab. Sunflower sea stars are amazing creatures - not your typical sea star. They can reach over three feet, live for decades, they are highly mobile, and function as keystone species in kelp forest systems. Just a little over a decade ago, there were 6 billion of these animals along the pacifi...
People in this episode
Host: Michael Hawk
Topics covered
- sunflower sea stars
- marine biology
- conservation
- keystone species
- hope
Keywords
- sunflower sea stars
- marine conservation
- kelp forests
- biodiversity
- ocean health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sunflower Star Lab
Places: Pacific Ocean
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