Pesticides And Microplastics Behind Die-Off Of Sea Stars In Puget Sounds

[hatrack]

Microplastics and a widely used pesticide are helping kill off sea star populations in Washington state’s Puget Sound, new research shows. The findings come as researchers look into what has caused a mass sunflower sea star die off in the region. Though it’s not yet clear whether the toxic substances are at the die off’s root, the study found that microplastics and the pesticide have detrimental impacts on young sea stars, which could prevent the population from rebounding.

Finding that the two pollutants cause mortality in sea stars is “not good”, said Allie Tissot, a doctoral candidate at Portland State University and co-author. “Their populations are really low and there are only so many on the coast right now,” Tissot said. “There are so many microplastics, contaminants and chemicals that might be in their environment, so we don’t know what the full combination of effects may be.”

EDIT

Among other issues, the pesticide caused gut malformations and prevented the stars’ stomachs from growing, which ultimately killed them. Imidacloprid, which targets mosquitos, works by preventing the insects’ stomachs from growing, so it is not entirely surprising that it has the same impact on other organisms.

The microfibers also seemed to accelerate growth, a response likely stemming from the stars being unable to get enough nutrients. The contaminants may not be causing wasting sea star syndrome, Tissot said, but it could be preventing the population from recovering. The findings also caused alarm because researchers only looked at the effects of two common contaminants – sea stars are exposed to a wide range of toxins that could impact their health.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/26/microplastics-pesticides-sea-stars-washington-state

[Tadpole Raisin]

1. Goodness knows we all are loaded with them. I fear for the

long term affects with kids we won’t fully appreciate for years or decades.