Starfish dying from mysterious 'wasting' disease off the West Coast

This undated photo released by the Rocky Intertidal Lab at the University of California-Santa Cruz shows a starfish suffering from "sea star wasting disease" - it's missing one arm and has tissue damage to another. Marine scientists are finding a large number of dead starfish along the West Coast stricken with the disease that causes the creatures to lose their arms and disintegrate. The affliction causes white lesions to develop, which can spread and turn the animals into "goo," and has killed up to 95 percent of a particular species of sea star in some tide pool populations. "They essentially melt in front of you," said Pete Raimondi, chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of California, Santa Cruz's Long Marine Lab.
Laura Anderson/AP

Take Two | November 4, 2013

Listen to story

05:43

"Sea star wasting disease" is affecting large numbers of starfish up and down the west coast. The illness begins with a skin lesion which quickly turns these beautiful beings into goo.

Here to tell us more is Pete Raimondi, chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab.

Enjoy Take Two? Try KPCC’s other programs.

See all of our programs

AirTalk

With Larry Mantle

Weekdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Lively and in-depth discussions of city news, politics, science, entertainment, the arts, and more.

FilmWeek

With Larry Mantle

Friday 11 a.m. - noon

Reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussion.

Take Two

With A Martínez

Weekdays 2 to 3 p.m.

News and culture through the lens of Southern California.

The Frame

With John Horn

Temporarily on hiatus so that our staff can help out our colleagues in the KPCC newsroom and on our other shows.

Movies, music, TV, arts and entertainment, straight from Southern California.

What's popular now on KPCC

Trump On Defensive Over White Supremacist Group After Debate Comments

NFL Postpones 1st Game Due To COVID-19 Pandemic Following Tennessee Titans Outbreak

Appeals Court Rejects Push To End Census Early By Trump Administration

Trump's Calls For Poll Watchers Raises Fears About Voter Intimidation