How the Oregon Coast Aquarium is saving sea stars, one animal at a time
For the last decade, marine biologists nationwide have been working to make sense of a mysterious wasting syndrome that is killing off sea stars. Now, they are getting help from the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where aquarist Tiffany Rudek has been playing her own role in addressing the crisis, quietly saving the animals one sea star at a time.
When Rudek came to the Newport aquarium three years ago, the northeast Pacific Ocean sea star population had already experienced a massive die-off in 2013 and 2014. Sunflower sea stars – among the largest in the world and whose habitat stretches from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula — were listed as critically endangered in 2021.
With the exception of the bat sea stars, the aquarium saw wasting in all species of its resident sea stars. The aquarium had tried various treatments but with mixed success. So, Rudek decided to take a different approach.
“I started doing a lot of research about everything we’ve found about the syndrome so far,” Rudek said. “It was trial and error.”
Scientists don’t know what causes the Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, which often leaves sea stars a gelatinous glob. It could be bacteria, a virus, the pH levels in the water, stress, or a combination of factors. The standard treatment was antibiotics, but Rudek noticed that the antibiotics worked in some sea stars but made others worse. That got her thinking about how antibiotics can also have negative side effects, such as stomach problems, for humans. She also wondered how someone might treat an animal, such as a dog, in a similar situation.
“I was thinking, ‘What can we do that is not an antibiotic?” Rudek said. “In most cases, when the star dies, it has a secondary bacteria condition, and that compromises the immune system and kills them. I started looking at probiotics instead of antibiotics to inhibit bacteria from thriving. It doesn’t hurt their microbiome at all. We want them to have the good gut bacteria, but we don’t want it wrecked by antibiotics.”
Over the course of two years, Rudek and coworker sea jelly specialist Evonne Mochon Collura concocted a cocktail of a buffer solution, minerals and a probiotic to help prevent harmful bacteria growth and secondary infection. They started using the protocol about a year ago.
“They’re basically bathed in this little miracle solution made of everything they need to be happy,” Rudek said. “It’s worked really well. We’ve been able to treat 17 stars, and we’ve brought back 15 of them.” Three of those stars are sunflower stars. The biggest is 4 feet across when fully stretched and about 30 years old. “All three have been here before the big wasting event,” she said. “Those that were here, made it through.” In the wild, sunflower sea stars are showing up again in Canada and northern Washington, but they have not been found in Oregon or California.
The treatment also involves an iodine-based solution to kill bacteria and cillia, microscopic organisms that live everywhere in the ocean. When a sea star gets sick, the cillia move in and infest the skin, causing the characteristic “melting” of the animal.
“We give them little 10-minute baths and it will kill bacteria and cillia,” Rudek said. “Essentially, when they get sick, we dip them in that solution to get them clean. They will relax.”
Yes, relax. It seems for all their quiet ways, sea stars do communicate.
https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2023/03/how-the-oregon-coast-aquarium-is-saving-sea-stars-one-animal-at-a-time.html
My most dearest Shosh,
I cannot help but think of you when I read the above article. Remember how you used to love starfish and we used to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium all the time for you to see them? Remember that one time one of the aquarium volunteers tried to correct you regarding starfish and you ended up having to school him/her? LOL. You were our resident genius and so passionate about starfish, dinosaurs, and excavators … not necessarily in that order.
I often think about you and where you are today in terms of life, passion, and future goals. I cannot help but think about where you would be had our little mixed-race family not been destroyed by the vile and evil. I still remember how Ms. T and Mr. D were so impressed by you when they met you as a toddler and were a bit intimidated by how smart and articulate you were. Mr. D thanked the heavens that he wasn’t burdened with having to raise such a smart child. (I, on the other hand, thanked the heavens that I had the privilege of raising such a smart child.)
It breaks my heart that I cannot be there to help guide you to adulthood and success. One of the kids I helped just shared that he’s being recruited by one of the big consulting shops. Under my tutelage, he’s gotten paid internships with great organizations and have been expanding his skillsets as well as horizons. I’m so proud of him! He’s a great kid: very polite and very well-raised. You’d like him!
But I can’t help but wish you too would have someone to guide you and help give you direction. It saddens me greatly that despite my siblings having advanced degrees and being successful in their respective fields of endeavor, not one has stepped in to help guide you boys in my absence. Likely that is partly a function of your mother being hateful of my side of the family, but where there is a will, there is a way. They failed. Even your godparents failed you. I am sorry.
One day, we will prevail in exposing the corrupt and clearing our names, and will reunite as a family. Life is long. We will have opportunities to set you back on the right paths to success.
Until then, work hard, read widely and voraciously, and take time to get to know your professors. Don’t be afraid to ask your professors for help with respect to internship opportunities, career advice, courses, etc.! They will help. Be the type of person they’d want to help.
I am always proud of you and Jaialai!
All my love, always and forever,
Dad
shoshandjaialai 