Sea stars--starfish to the kids--took a pounding from an undetermined pathogen along the West Coast several years ago. Since them, some populations of sea stars have rebounded.
But not sunflower sea stars. These creatures, given the name because of multiple arms that make them resemble sunflowers, are still very hard to find in waters close to shore.
The zone extends from Baja California to Alaska. Researchers from University of California-Davis, Cornell University, and other institutions are tracking the situation. Researchers from UC-Davis join us.