Sunflower sea stars declared critically endangered on West Coast

One of the largest sea star species in the world has been listed as critically endangered on Thursday after a global study shows the species population has been decimated by a marine epidemic.

The sunflower sea star, once abundant in marine waters from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, is on the brink of extinction along the West Coast waters in the United States after a marine wildlife epidemic event referred to as the sea star wasting syndrome began in 2013. The wasting syndrome, which essentially melts away the sea star, is the result of a pathogen that affected many different species but affected the sunflower sea star the most.