Washington releases 20 lab-raised sunflower sea stars into the Salish Sea to restore the endangered species and damaged kelp forests

North America Science Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:21:51 GMT Moderate confidence — 73/100

Image: University of WashingtonA remarkable conservation effort is unfolding in Washington’s San Juan Islands, where the Samish Indian Nation and University of Washington researchers have released 20 lab-raised sunflower sea stars into the Salish Sea.
The endangered predators were raised for three years at Friday Harbour Laboratories before being carefully transported to waters off Decatur Island.
Their return to the wild marks a significant milestone in efforts to rebuild a species devastated by sea-star wasting disease, which caused catastrophic population declines across the Pacific coast.

Image: University of WashingtonA remarkable conservation effort is unfolding in Washington’s San Juan Islands, where the Samish Indian Nation and University of Washington researchers have released 20 lab-raised sunflower sea stars into the Salish Sea.
The endangered predators were raised for three years at Friday Harbour Laboratories before being carefully transported to waters off Decatur Island.
Their return to the wild marks a significant milestone in efforts to rebuild a species devastated by sea-star wasting disease, which caused catastrophic population declines across the Pacific coast.

Sources: Times of India