What’s Happening to Sea Stars?

As you explore Maine’s rocky coastline, it can be tricky to spot a sea star. These unique and beautiful invertebrates could once be easily found within our intertidal zone, feeding on mussels and oysters and basking happily in the chilly Maine waters. But what has happened to sea stars? Why are now they so difficult to find?

This week we were joined by a very special guest Melina Giakoumis. Melina is a PhD candidate at the City University of New York where she uses genomics to study how climate change has impacted sea star populations along the coastline of New England. We had so much to learn from Melina, including how sea stars can externalize their stomachs to digest food, how and why they regenerate limbs and how their unique situation as a “keystone species” can reflect the greater health of the ocean’s creatures at large.

Please check out the video below that features our wonderfully informative and engaging Nature Links class led by Melina!