2. Diving

Sea Star Wasting Disease

Photos of recent sea star (commonly called Starfish) mortality due to Seastar Wasting Disease (aka Sea star Wasting Syndrome) in Puget Sound Washington, Howe Sound BC, and other areas. Please note photographers are listed on each photograph, and photos are ©2013 by the individual photographer, and may not be used without permission.
Report your observations to the Vancouver Aquarium and/or UC Santa Cruz:
http://www.vanaqua.org/act/research/sea-stars
http://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/pacificrockyintertidal/data-products/sea-star-wasting/index.html#track-disease
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Photo ©2013 by Jan Kocian. Deception Pass, WA. Sept 12th, 2013. Stimpsons Sunstar. "Found one sick Solaster stimpsoni at Deception Pass today. All other sea stars looked OK."
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Photo ©2013 by Jan Kocian. Deception Pass, WA. Sept 12th, 2013. Stimpsons Sunstar. "Found one sick Solaster stimpsoni at Deception Pass today. All other sea stars looked OK."

Seastar Wasting DiseaseSeastar Wasting Syndrome

  • In spite of somewhat windy weather, I managed to make my weekly visits to Possession Point and Langley Harbor on Whidbey Island on Friday and Saturday January 10 & 11. The good news is that Langley 's thousands of sea stars seem to remain healthy, I found only one composing pile of star remnant. Possession Point on other end continues to suffer from SSWS with eight new corpses, still found in the shallower waters, while the depths below 30 feet seem to be OK. Unfortunately, for the first time here, I found 3 Mottled stars (Evasterias troschelii) succumbing to SSWS. There are clusters of Mottled stars in 12 feet of water, they been there for long time and seem healthy, except one. Because of surge and not so great visibility in shallows, I couldn't survey the entire area. Pink, Ochre, Blood and Vermilion stars are fine. Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Started the new year, revisiting local spots. It seems that Possession Point Pycnopodia stars are being hit more and more, while other species are so far doing well.<br /> On last dive at the Possession Point I counted twenty five casualties, so far the healthy ones still outnumber the dying ones probably 5 to 1. <br /> Langley harbor on other hand is still avoiding the syndrome. Yesterday, January 5th, I did not see a single sea star suffering. And there are hundreds and hundreds<br /> of Pycnopodia all over the place. Even the one sickly looking Pink seem to be healthier, not so starved looking like on December 28.<br /> Art/Photo ©2014 by Jan Kocian.
  • Photo ©2014 by Valerie Lyttle. Redondo, Des Moines, WA. 1/6/2014
  • Photo ©2014 by Valerie Lyttle. Redondo, Des Moines, WA. 1/6/2014
  • Photo ©2014 by Valerie Lyttle. Redondo, Des Moines, WA. 1/6/2014<br /> These were at Redondo tonight. Only saw 2 small adult sized Sunflower stars, they seemed somewhat healthy. Saw two baby sunflowers that seemed ok. Lots of wasting/dying mottled stars, quite a few piles of goo :-(
  • Photo ©2014 by Valerie Lyttle. Redondo, Des Moines, WA. 1/6/2014<br /> This dripping mottled star was on the downslope side of the tube.
  • Art/Photo ©2013 by Jan Kocian. Keystone Jetty.
  • Photo ©2013 by Jan Kocian. Deception Pass, WA. Sept 12th, 2013. Stimpsons Sunstar. "Found one sick Solaster stimpsoni at Deception Pass today. All other sea stars looked OK."
  • Photo ©2013 by Bob Bailey. Redondo, Des Moines, Washington 12/25/2013. Sunflower Star. "Another disintegrated leg ... zombie art ..."
  • Photo ©2013 by Bob Bailey. Redondo, Des Moines, Washington 12/25/2013. Sunflower Star. "<br /> This leg was still crawling ..."
  • Photo ©2013 by Bob Bailey. Redondo, Des Moines, Washington 12/25/2013. Sunflower Star. "This is the sunstar body ... where the leg separated ... two legs, actually ..."
  • Photo ©2013 by Bob Bailey. Redondo, Des Moines, Washington 12/25/2013. Sunflower Star. "Another leg piece, showing just the separated area ..."
  • Photo ©2013 by Bob Bailey. Redondo, Des Moines, Washington 12/25/2013. Sunflower Star. "This has what looks like eggs hanging down. I don't know what it is ... I did see it on several of the disintegrated legs."
  • Photo ©2013 by Valerie Lyttle. Z's Reef in Tacoma WA area. Spiny Pink Star. December 22nd, 2013
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