Starfish Numbers Rise Despite Mysterious Wasting Disease

Starfish have been dying in the West Coast due to some mysterious disease that has been turning countless animals to goo. However, despite the mysterious waste disease, it seems that a record number of starfish babies have survived, giving scientists a bit of hope and some cautious optimism.

According to Live Science, the Oregon coast now has a thriving community of baby starfish - or sea stars - with many places seeing populations grow to as much as 300 times the typical number. This is good news, particularly because about 90 percent of the sea star population in Oregon showed signs of decay between the months of June and August 2014.

Despite the rising numbers, the disease has not been fully eradicated. Researchers said that another round of the wasting illness could kill the baby sea stars, including the purple ochre - a "keystone" species that influences the marine ecosystem.

The lead author of the study, Bruce Menge said in a statement that the larval sea stars in settlement rocks in 2014 were lesser than they had been in the previous years. However, a few months later, the numbers rose off the charts - and had become the highest they have seen.

While these starfish aren't results of elevated starfish births or re-settlement, their species are said to have an "extraordinary survival rate" as they go into their juvenile stage. However, the question remains whether or not they can make it into adulthood and replenish their population without succumbing to the wasting disease.

The mysterious disease has left large numbers of sea stars with arms twisted and disintergrating into slimy ooze. It's not an isolated case, either - the sickened stars spanned from Alaska to Baja, California, with some also said to be affected on the East Coast.

There is no clue yet as to what causes the disease, but scientists from Cornell University found evidence of densovirus in the stars as well as the water columns where they were found. While the virus occurs naturally, they are suspected to be harmful to sea stars who are experiencing high levels of stress.