The 24-armed sunflower sea star isn't a picky eater, which may makes it crucial to restoring kelp forests.
, leaving the population critically endangered.
This study examined just how effective the sunflower sea star is as a predator of sea urchins by raising well-fed and starving sea urchins in a lab setting. After about six weeks of collecting and raising urchins, the researchers let 24 sea stars free to feed. The sea stars consumed an average of 0.68 urchins a day, and when the urchins were starving, like they are in nutrient-poor urchin barrens, sea stars ate even more.
With this knowledge in mind, future research can focus on how exactly to use sunflower sea stars to keep sea urchin populations in check—and hopefully restore kelp forests in the process.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
State Board of Education members say no to state ed overhaulThree members of the Ohio State Board of Education publicly opposed an overhaul of the state education system on Tuesday.
Read more »
Ohio State battles but comes up short to Penn State in ninth straight lossOhio State had opportunities to snap its losing streak, but instead Penn State handed the Buckeyes a ninth straight defeat.
Read more »
New York sues CoinEx, says crypto exchange failed to register with stateCoinEx was sued on Wednesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who accused the cryptocurrency exchange of transacting business illegally because it did not register with the state.
Read more »
CoinEx crypto exchange sued by New York for failing to register with stateCoinEx is being sued by the New York Attorney General, who says the crypto exchange operated illegally in the state due to not registering with local regulators.
Read more »