California Academy of Sciences secures grant to help endangered sea stars
Our take
In the heart of California, the California Academy of Sciences is spearheading a remarkable endeavor to breathe new life into a species teetering on the edge of extinction: the Sunflower sea star. This initiative is more than a gesture of hope; it's a testament to the power of science in the face of ecological crisis. As we delve into this story, let's not only marvel at the scientific breakthroughs but also consider the broader implications for our marine ecosystems and the future of biodiversity.
The project, funded by the California Ocean Protection Council, takes us back to the basics of conservation biology: understanding and restoring balance. The Sunflower sea star's plight is emblematic of the wider oceanic challenges we face. These creatures, once abundant, have seen their populations decimated by a pathogen causing sea star wasting disease. The consequences of their decline have rippled through the marine food web, leading to an explosion in sea urchin populations and the destruction of kelp forests. This isn't just about saving a species; it's about preserving the intricate web of life that depends on these marine ecosystems.
At the forefront of this conservation effort, scientists like Riah Evin and Elora Lopez-Nandam are not just raising the next generation of sea stars in captivity but are also pioneering the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor the ocean for the traces of healthy individuals. This cutting-edge technique allows researchers to detect the presence of sea stars in water samples, providing a non-invasive way to track their recovery. It's a method that's already being used in other conservation efforts, but its application to this species is groundbreaking. As Lopez-Nandam explains, "We can use environmental DNA to look for the presence of sunflowers in the water, which could indicate that they're thriving."
The success of this project is not just in the numbers of sea stars that are successfully reintroduced into the wild but in the broader implications for our approach to conservation. By combining traditional breeding techniques with modern scientific methods, the Academy's team is not only working to save a species but is also developing a blueprint for future conservation efforts. This approach is critical as we face the urgent challenge of protecting biodiversity in the face of climate change and habitat destruction.
In this effort, collaboration is key. Volunteers are being trained to assist in shoreline surveys and water sampling, turning the public into partners in conservation. This community engagement is vital, as it not only helps in the data collection but also fosters a sense of stewardship and connection to the marine environment. It's a reminder that the fight to save our oceans is a shared responsibility, one that requires the involvement of scientists, policymakers, and the public.
As we move forward, the story of the Sunflower sea star at the California Academy of Sciences is more than a local conservation effort; it's a global narrative of hope and resilience. It's a story of how scientific innovation, when coupled with a commitment to global collaboration and public engagement, can lead us towards a future where biodiversity is preserved and our oceans thrive.
What's next for the Sunflower sea star? Will the reintroduction efforts succeed in restoring their populations? Can we learn from this project to apply similar methods to other endangered species? These are questions that not only matter for the future of the Sunflower sea star but for all of our marine life. As we watch, we're reminded of the vital role science plays in our journey towards a sustainable future.
| | (report from San Francisco television station, ABC O&O) Here's an update on a Bay Area project to help bring a struggling species back from the brink of extinction, which would help put our coastal ecosystem back in balance. Last time we visited the sea star lab at the California Academy of Sciences, it had the vibe of a busy maternity ward. The new arrivals were tiny Sunflower sea stars, known as gametes, about to be raised in nurturing tanks with swirling spatulas, before taking a temporary leap into the real world. "So, these are all animals raised in captivity," said Marine Researcher Riah Evin, who added that a number of them recently took a leap into the real world. In a unique experiment, beginning several months ago, the lab-grown stars were placed in cages in Monterey Bay for a full-on soak test, to see if they could survive in the open ocean before being retrieved. "So it was a test to see animals that had never touched the ocean before, how they would do and release them. And everybody got through it fine," she said. And that success is especially critical now, because the species has nearly disappeared from their normal coastal environment, victims of a sea star wasting disease. Their absence triggered a chain reaction, allowing sea urchins they typically feed on to explode in numbers and begin gobbling up underwater kelp forests. But, in a major breakthrough, scientists recently identified the pathogen that causes the disease. "So now that our colleagues have identified this bacterium that is causing sea star wasting disease, it really opens up this huge new set of research questions that we can start to address," said Evolutionary Biologist Elora Lopez-Nadam, Ph.D. Ultimately, could scientists identify and raise healthy stars and reintroduce them into the ocean? Lopez-Nandam says a new project now underway could help answer those questions, thanks in part to a major grant from the California Ocean Protection Council. Her team will be using a technique called environmental DNA, or eDNA, to monitor ocean water for traces of healthy Sunflower stars who may have survived the initial die-off. "So we can use environmental DNA, which is basically DNA that animals shed out into the water. And so, if you take a water sample and filter that water until you just collect the DNA that's in the water, you can then sequence it. And we in particular are going to be interested in looking for do we get a hit for sunflowers," said Lopez-Nandam. She says it's a chance to learn if certain genetic traits can protect the Sunflower sea stars. And while divers will be working in deeper water, another Academy Researcher Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., will be launching an army of shoreline surveyors, including volunteers. "To get them to go help us look for these stars that are really, really rare. We've had great success with getting people more people out to the beach looking," Johnson said. And while reintroducing healthy lab grown sea stars back into the ocean would likely be many years off, the Academy team and their collaborators are already building the scientific know-how and developing the techniques that could someday help restore a struggling species. In addition to training volunteers to look for sea stars, the Academy is also hoping to create water sampling kits so they can help with the marine-DNA program as well. [link] [comments] |
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience