Cryopreserved sea star larvae could enable vital species to recover

Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough by successfully cryopreserving sea star larvae and reactivating them, marking a significant milestone in the conservation of a critically endangered keystone species.

Since 2013, sea star wasting syndrome has ravaged populations of various sea star species along the west coast of North America, including sunflower stars and giant pink stars. The decline of these predators led to a surge in sea urchin populations, resulting in a drastic reduction of kelp forest canopy in northern California.

The sunflower stars are now considered functionally extinct in California, prompting urgent efforts to breed and reintroduce them back into the wild.

In a groundbreaking initiative, giant pink star larvae that were spawned at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, were cryopreserved by storing them in liquid nitrogen at -200°C. After a month of storage, the larvae were transported to the Sunflower Star Laboratory in Monterey Bay, where they were thawed carefully and resumed their development, eventually reaching the juvenile stage. This successful process has significant implications for the conservation of sea stars, according to Reuven Bank, an expert at the Sunflower Star Laboratory.

The successful cryopreservation and reactivation of giant pink star larvae represent a crucial step towards reintroducing genetically diverse sunflower stars back into the waters of California. Reuven Bank emphasizes the importance of this achievement, stating that the similar larval cycle of giant pink stars and sunflower stars paves the way for the next phase of conservation efforts focused on sunflower stars.

With marine ecosystems in the North Pacific facing multiple environmental threats over the past 15 years, the recovery of Pycnopodia offers a ray of hope amidst the grim narrative of climate change, marine heat waves, and ecosystem collapse, as noted by Andrew Kim from the Sunflower Star Laboratory.