Oregon has recorded death of up to 90% of starfish due to wasting disease from June to August 2014. Since then, it has been two years and the starfish population is constantly under danger in Oregon. However, amidst it all there is a ray of optimism as Oregon and Northern California researchers have found abundance of droves of young starfishes coming to shores.
 
Oregon State University researchers had collected data since 2014 that revealed a great number of baby starfishes have survived during summer and winter of 2015. This is certainly a positive sign. The number of young creatures is found in great number, which was never experienced before. Areas of north of Trinidad near Patrick's Point State Park were also populated with growing number of sea stars, but the number was not greater than Oregon.
 
“When we looked at the settlement of the larval sea stars on rocks in 2014 during the epidemic, it was the same or maybe even a bit lower than previous years. But a few months later, the number of juveniles was off the charts”, said Oregon State University Marine Biology Professor Bruce Menge.
 
There are some concerns to consider as well. The data also showed number of baby sea star fell in winter of 2015. The factors such as predation, competition and environment pose threat to the survival of baby sea stars. The deadly wasting disease along with these factors plays havoc.
 
The wasting disease was first found in sea stars on the North Coast in April 2013. Researchers from Cornell University, UC Santa Cruz, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium found that the cause of outbreak was a virus. The disease first causes white lesions that could be seen on the arms of affected sea stars. As a result, the creature starts disintegrating and dies within a week or less.