ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - A wasting disease has nearly wiped out sea stars at Haystack Rock, the popular destination for visitors to Cannon Beach.
Haystack Rock Awareness Program Coordinator Samantha Ferber estimates more than 90 percent of the sea stars in the lower intertidal areas have been killed in the past 15 months.
She told The Daily Astorian she hopes the few remaining sea stars will pass on survival adaptations to the next generation.
The wasting disease cause lesions that deform the sea stars and eventually causes them to disintegrate into a white mush.
Background: Starfish disease exploding on Oregon coast