The Cause of Sea Star Wasting Disease Revealed

The Cause of Sea Star Wasting Disease Revealed

E
Echoes of the Wild
Oct 13, 2025

A group of researchers have discovered the cause of sea star wasting disease (SSWD). This discovery comes more than a decade after the start of the marine epidemic that has killed billions of sea stars—representing over 20 different species from Alaska to Mexico. SSWD is considered the largest marine epidemic ever documented in the wild.