Scientists solve mystery of what’s killing billions of starfish off California and the West Coast

For years, it has been one of the biggest mysteries in marine biology: What is killing the starfish?

Since 2013, billions of sea stars, an elegant ocean species commonly known as starfish that are a key part of the environment along the coast of California and other states, have been dying. The animals have suffered from a disease that causes parts of them to shrivel and melt away.

In some places 90% of the sea stars died from the gruesome ailment, which is known as “wasting disease” with sunflower sea stars being the most susceptible. The disease has affected more than 20 species of sea stars found from Alaska to the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, including Monterey Bay, the Sonoma Coast and other parts of the California shoreline.

On Monday researchers at the University of Briti