Whew, I'm finally getting over a heel injury...and it's just in time for spring field work! Eric and I were doing some intertidal surveys this afternoon (1 April 2023) and Eric took this nice photo of Ochre Sea Stars (Pisaster ochraceus) — some feeding on very large California Mussels (Mytilus californianus).
2 comments:
Wow, it's been years since I saw such a gathering. I wonder if the sea stars developed a resistance to the wasting disease, or if the disease has simply played itself out.
Hi, John!
Good question! And so many questions remain surrounding wasting disease in sea stars. We have been monitoring them for 10 years now (for a variety of reasons), but I often feel like we have more questions than answers.
No matter what, it's nice to see larger numbers of sea stars at local sites. I relate to your reaction to it feeling unusual -- disease had such a strong impact on sea star densities that it still feels surprising to see lots of larger individuals.
Jackie
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