A mysterious sea star die-off in 2013-2014, which killed up to 90% of the marine species, has been linked to a bacterial microbe called Vibrio pectenicida. The discovery, made by researchers in British Columbia, is considered the “discovery of the decade” and marks a significant step towards understanding the outbreak.
The study focused on the coelomic fluid of sea stars, which provided new insights into the disease’s progression. Researchers found that the bacteria caused sea stars to lose their arms, leading to a gruesome death. The impact was particularly severe on one species, the sunflower sea star, which is a voracious predator of purple sea urchins.
The die-off had far-reaching consequences, causing an explosion in urchin populations and the degradation of kelp forests along the West Coast. This loss of vegetation supports a wide range of marine life, from tiny invertebrates to giant gray whales.
While the discovery is significant, it has highlighted the need for further research into how the bacteria spread and originated. Despite this limitation, naming the pathogen marks an important milestone in recovery efforts, paving the way for new approaches to managing and conserving marine ecosystems.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/05/sea-star-die-off-bacteria-identified