Overview
- Scientists located 18 sunflower sea stars at a Sonoma County site last summer, NOAA announced in June 2026.
- Researchers collected tissue, water and ecological samples at the site and are analyzing genetics and pathogen data to see if the animals can reproduce locally.
- A 2025 study has implicated the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida in the earlier mass wasting die-off, so teams are testing for that pathogen to assess disease risk.
- NOAA and partners are weighing interventions such as lab culturing, cross-breeding for disease resistance and microbiome approaches while NOAA Fisheries finishes a pending Endangered Species Act proposal.
- The stars matter for kelp forest health because their loss let purple sea urchins explode and strip kelp, so any recovery could help restore habitat but rising ocean temperatures and the strong El Niño forecast pose major threats.