Sunflower Sea Star

Photo: Neil McDaniel · CC BY-NC

The sunflower sea star — the world's largest sea star and one of the fastest-moving — was once abundant at Dodd Narrows before the catastrophic sea star wasting disease of 2013 to 2015 eliminated over 90% of populations across the Pacific Coast. Small numbers of recovering individuals have been documented at this site in recent years, making each sighting scientifically significant. Their recovery is critical to kelp forest health, as they are the primary predator controlling sea urchin populations that would otherwise overgraze the kelp.