The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the federal government, alleging the National Marine Fisheries Service missed a legal deadline to decide whether to protect the sunflower sea star under the Endangered Species Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to compel the agency to issue a final listing decision after it proposed protecting the species in 2023 but failed to meet its statutory deadline.
Once common from Alaska to Southern California, the species has declined by about 90% since 2013, according to the conservation group.
Scientists say sea star wasting disease has driven much of the decline. The disease causes lesions, limb loss and death, and research suggests warming ocean temperatures have made outbreaks more severe, raising concerns about the species' ability to recover.
Sunflower sea stars are among the Pacific Coast's primary predators of sea urchins. Scientists say their decline has allowed urchin populations to expand, contributing to the loss of kelp forests that provide habitat for fish, invertebrates and other marine life.
Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said federal protections are needed before the species declines further.
"I love sunflower sea stars," Sakashita said. "They are this massive sea star. If you stretch out your arms, that's about how far across they are, and they can have up to 24 arms. They look like a super star."
If the species is listed under the Endangered Species Act, federal officials would be required to develop a recovery plan and could designate critical habitat. Conservation advocates say those protections could also help address threats from pollution, dredging and coastal development.
NOAA spokesperson Micheal Milstein told the Alaska Beacon that the agency is continuing work on the proposed listing.
"At this time, NOAA Fisheries has not yet completed our work on the Center for Biological Diversity's proposal to list the sunflower sea star under the Endangered Species Act," Milstein said. He said the agency is prioritizing its available resources while continuing its responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act.
If the court rules in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity, it could require the agency to issue a final decision on whether the sunflower sea star should receive federal protections.
Guest
- Miyoko Sakashita, Oceans Program Director, Center for Biological Diversity
