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You Can Afjord to Miss This
Gehman, Alyssa-Lois Madden et al. “Fjord oceanographic dynamics provide refuge for critically endangered Pycnopodia helianthoides.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Time to end on a moment of zen. And what better place to find serenity than the fjords of coastal British Columbia?
You don’t have to take my word for it; just ask the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a species that has been so stressed in recent years that it has literally been tearing itself to pieces. This grotesque affliction, known as sea star wasting disease, has devastated many sea star populations around the world, butP.helianthoidesis among the hardest hit, losing more than 90 percent of its Pacific Coast population.
I know, I know, I promised some zen! There may be some light at the end of the tunnel for this species, as scientists have observed populations recovering in fjord refuges along the BC coast. Sea stars in these havens are not necessarily less exposed to the disease, but the conditions in fjords, which are regularly fed with freshwater flows, may give the animals a better chance to recover from infection.
“P. helianthoidesin fjord habitats appear to be responding differently to SSWD than those in other habitats and regions,” said researchers led by Alyssa-Lois Madden Gehman of the Hakai Institute. “The contrast between the interaction between salinity and temperature on biomass density within the fjords and outer islands suggests that these habitats could be a refuge from disease.”
“We suggest that the unique oceanographic conditions within the fjords, specifically through the increase in freshwater input during snowmelt, known as the freshet, could be keepingP. helianthoidesin conditions that optimize host health and/or limit disease progression and transmission,” the team said.
Honestly, the compulsion to tear one’s own body limb-from-limb due to environmental stress seems dangerously relatable. But if sea stars can find some sanctuary from their hellish plight, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us.
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