Sea Stars Slowly Returning After Mysterious Die-off
Washington's sea star numbers are up in the aftermath of a four-year wasting syndrome epidemic.
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In 2013, a mysterious ailment called Sea Star Wasting Syndrome hit the West Coast, decimating sea star populations from British Columbia to Mexico and killing off 98 percent of the Freshwater Bay sea stars west of Port Angeles. But lately, monitors are cautiously optimistic after noting an increase in sea stars in the Pacific tidepools.