#126: New Hope for Sunflower Sea Stars

#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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