Before the melt begins, sea stars show hidden immune collapse and tissue failure driving a coastal die-off

Before the melt begins, sea stars show hidden immune collapse and tissue failure driving a coastal die-off

Scientists are homing in on a mysterious wasting disease that has killed billions of sea stars along the Pacific coast of North America since 2013. Sea star wasting disease can rapidly wipe out entire populations, leaving gooey puddles of tissue in its wake. A new study by University of Vermont researchers may unlock the pathways for infection by identifying early biomarkers of illness in wild sea stars.