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Researchers Test Lab-Raised Sunflower Sea Stars to Restore Kelp

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 12:13 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. researchers released lab-raised sunflower sea stars off Monterey Bay in open cages to test kelp restoration.
Scientists report that 95% of California’s kelp forests have vanished in the past 10-12 years.
Sea star wasting syndrome after a 2013 heatwave wiped out over 90% of Pacific sea stars.
A single sunflower sea star consumes three to four purple urchins daily and its scent scares others.

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Story summary

U.S. researchers released lab-raised sunflower sea stars off Monterey Bay in open cages to test kelp restoration.
Scientists report that 95% of California’s kelp forests have vanished in the past 10-12 years.
Sea star wasting syndrome after a 2013 heatwave wiped out over 90% of Pacific sea stars.
A single sunflower sea star consumes three to four purple urchins daily and its scent scares others.