Sneaky Suspect: The Culprit Behind Sea Star Wasting Disease

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of Sea Star Wasting Disease on sea star populations in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Sea stars are important Pacific Northwest predators, maintaining ecosystem balance. Unfortunately, a devastating disease, Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD), struck these marine invertebrates. SSWD started as a massive outbreak in 2013. While it actually was first detected along the Washington coast, it rapidly spread from Alaska down to Mexico, causing sea stars to disintegrate and decimating many populations. While the outbreak peaked around 2014, it continues to affect sea stars. After years ...

Topics covered

• marine biology
• ecosystem balance
• disease outbreak
• sea stars
• Pacific Northwest
• environmental impact

Keywords

• Sea Star Wasting Disease
• sea stars
• marine invertebrates
• ecosystem
• disease outbreak
• Pacific Northwest
• Washington
• Alaska
• Mexico

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Pacific Northwest, Washington, Alaska, Mexico

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