Landmark Sunflower Star Outplanting Research in California Provides Key Insight for Future Restoration
Sunflower Star Laboratory, Reef Check, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Hopkins Marine Station, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CSUMB, and Underwater Company collaborate to advance sunflower star restoration research.
MONTEREY, Calif., (October 5th, 2026) – For the first time in California, lab-reared sunflower stars are temporarily roaming the ocean floor in Monterey Bay as part of a collaborative research project to inform the restoration of this marine predator.
Led by conservation nonprofit Sunflower Star Laboratory (SSL), in partnership with Reef Check Foundation, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State University - Monterey Bay (CSUMB), Phil Sammet’s Underwater Company, and marine operations staff at Hopkins Marine Station, this collaborative research marks numerous advancements in the fight to save the IUCN-listed, critically-endangered sunflower star. The series of caged and uncaged field studies have revealed striking preliminary results regarding the strong kelp restoration potential of sunflower stars that will help guide the future of their recovery in the state.
“Together, the multiple components of this experiment demonstrate the transformational power of sunflower stars to recover California’s vanishing kelp forests,” said Reuven Bank, Sunflower Star Laboratory Executive Director. “This groundbreaking research from Sunflower Star Laboratory and our collaborators illustrates the strength of cooperative conservation in action, and lays the foundation for the future transition to permanent outplanting in our state.”
Sunflower Star Laboratory Manager Andrew Kim and Conservation Program Lead Ashley Kidd place a sunflower star into a pod as part of 2026 outplanting fieldwork, copyright Sage Ono.
Sunflower stars are keystone predators in kelp forest ecosystems, eating urchins and scaring them into hiding more and grazing less kelp. Since the outbreak of Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) in 2013-2014 – one of the largest marine disease events on record – sunflower star populations have collapsed, a phenomenon associated with widespread urchin barrens and the decline of 95% of Northern California’s kelp forests, with additional kelp losses spanning much of the West Coast.
In this research project, 16 sunflower stars were outplanted into enclosed pods in an urchin barren in Monterey Bay for a month-long dual experiment. In part one of the experiment, the stars were split into two groups, with half given an unlimited supply of starved urchins (simulating urchins found in barrens), and the other provided unlimited well-fed urchins (simulating urchins found in healthy kelp forests). The stars provided an all-you-can buffet of starved urchins consumed significantly more prey as stars feeding on healthy urchins, while still gaining over 50% body mass on average during the thirty day study. Coupled with previous research showing that sunflower stars don’t differentiate between healthy and starved urchins when feeding, these results highlight the powerful potential of reintroduced sunflower stars to convert barren environments back into kelp forests through predation.
An outplanted sunflower star captures an urchin as it roams free along the ocean floor in Monterey for the first time, Copyright Sage Ono.
Concurrently, in part two of the experiment, the researchers conducted surveys of the communities of marine organisms surrounding the star-filled cages to investigate the ‘landscape of fear’ sunflower stars create as their scent wafts along the ocean floor. Within three feet of the cages, 99% of the adult urchins crawled away in fear after smelling the stars, with the impact extending several meters away. This fear halo persisted for weeks after the removal of the caged stars, demonstrating that reintroduced stars can also intensely suppress urchins in California through their presence alone. Together, the dual components of this experiment offer the clearest evidence yet of the transformational power of sunflower stars to effectuate kelp forest recovery.
Following the caged component of the project, SSL and collaborators conducted 18 temporary uncaged releases of 2.5 year old sunflower stars on the ocean floor to test release and monitoring methods, diver coordination, and behavioral survey protocols. This landmark study represents the first known instance of sunflower stars roaming free in Monterey Bay since 2018, and the first time lab-reared stars have been temporarily released into California nearshore ecosystems. Divers chaperoned each sunflower star during their uncaged ‘walkabouts’ in camp ocean, swapping out every thirty minutes to ensure continuous supervision of the wild excursions, which lasted up to two hours in duration.
“By ground-truthing our lab and caged-trial feeding results, with free-ranging sunflower stars during our ‘walkabouts’, we can design more effective reintroduction plans, based on real consumptive data for these young stars,’ explains Ashley Kidd, SSL’s Conservation Program Lead. “The walkabouts are incredibly valuable as we capture behaviors using ethograms as the stars explore the ocean floor for the first time, and we see first hand their effect on nearby species.”
An outplanted sunflower star devours an urchin in Monterey during 2026 research, copyright Sage Ono.
In the coming years, SSL and collaborators plan to build on this project to further research the restorative potential of sunflower stars for kelp forest ecosystems, and transition to permanent releases. This work would not have been possible without the intense, coordinated efforts of many community partners. Reef Check Foundation provided diving and boating oversight, while Monterey Bay Aquarium, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, CSUMB, the marine operations staff at Hopkins Marine Station, and Phil Sammet’s Underwater Company provided in-kind boating and diving support. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories also provided critical aquaculture infrastructure for sunflower star and urchin growout throughout the project.
“Having personally watched sunflower stars disappear from our coast, and our kelp forests subsequently decimated by urchins, it is heartening to see stars in the water again and to see the results of this study that provide real hope for these beleaguered ecosystems” says Dan Abbott, Kelp Forest Program Director for Reef Check Foundation.
Sunflower Star Laboratory Executive Director Reuven Bank Passes a Bagged Sunflower Star to Lab Manager Andrew Kim as part of the 2026 Outplanting Fieldwork, Copyright Sage Ono.
Of the 16 sunflower stars utilized in the caged component of the project, 14 of 16 stars (88%) survived the month-long exposure to wild ocean conditions. Two of the outplanted stars demonstrated symptoms of Sea Star Wasting Disease, and were pulled from the study site before succumbing to the disease. Subsequent diagnostic testing by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife detected Vibrio pectinicida - a bacterium known to cause wasting - in one of the retrieved stars. This marks the first documented case of natural transmission of this pathogen detected in California waters. This demonstrates how timely detection can generate actionable information for managers, and highlights how cross-sector partnerships can advance conservation science and inform marine management and policy.
The stars utilized in this study were spawned at Birch Aquarium at Scripps in 2024 and the work was conducted under permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, with approvals from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
This research project will inform and elevate the impact of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) sunflower sea star program, as well as the Pacific Coast Ocean Restoration (PCOR) Initiative, a comprehensive, collaborative statewide strategy to restore and recover degraded marine species and ecosystems, and advances the work of the Pycnopodia Recovery Working Group (PRWG). The experiment further builds on prior trials in Washington by Dr. Jason Hodin’s team at Friday Harbor Labs and other research efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest.
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Media Contacts:
Sunflower Star Laboratory |Reuven Bank, reuven@sunflowerstarlab.org
Reef Check Foundation | Dan Abbott, dabbott@reefcheck.org
Monterey Bay Aquarium | Emerson Brown, ebrown@mbayaq.org
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories | Petra Dekens, petra.dekens@sjsu.edu
California State University Monterey Bay | Nathan Spindel, nspindel@csumb.edu
Underwater Company | Phil Sammet, captdeep@redshift.com
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About Sunflower Star Laboratory
Sunflower Star Laboratory is a community-based nonprofit that leads research and conservation to recover the sunflower star, building kelp forest resilience with our communities. Our organization is actively growing the critically-endangered sunflower star and other species in our conservation aquaculture facility in Moss Landing, CA, while conducting novel research and coordinating greater sunflower star recovery efforts across North America. Sunflower star recovery is an integral part of restoring California’s vanishing kelp forests, and Sunflower Star Laboratory’s experienced, interdisciplinary team leads groundbreaking work to make this imperative a reality. Head to www.sunflowerstarlab.org and @sunflowerstarlab for more information.
● Sunflower Star Laboratory Quote: “Together, the multiple components of this experiment demonstrate the transformational power of sunflower stars to recover California’s beleaguered kelp forests,” said Reuven Bank, Sunflower Star Laboratory’s Executive Director. “This groundbreaking research from Sunflower Star Laboratory and our collaborators illustrates the power of cooperative conservation in action, and lays the foundation for the future transition to permanent outplanting in our state. ”
About Monterey Bay Aquarium
With a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the most admired aquarium in the United States, a leader in science education, and a voice for ocean conservation through comprehensive programs in marine science and public policy. Everything we do works in concert to protect the future of our blue planet. More information at MontereyBayAquarium.org.
● Monterey Bay Aquarium Quote: “The Aquarium plays an integral role in this collaboration by growing Sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) that could contribute to source populations for future recovery efforts, and by exhibiting the species to highlight their importance. Our ecologists are also leading research to better understand the role of Sunflower sea stars and other predators in resilient kelp forest systems here in Monterey Bay and along the West Coast.” said Dr. April Ridlon, Director of Science for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
About Reef Check Foundation
Reef Check is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management and conservation of coral reefs and kelp forests. Reef Check trains volunteer divers to collect high-quality data on the health of coral reefs and kelp forests, providing resource managers, policymakers, and local communities with the science they need to make informed management and conservation decisions. For three decades, Reef Check has built powerful networks of ocean stewards, advanced marine conservation through rigorous, community-powered scientific monitoring, and inspired people around the world to protect the coastal ecosystems that sustain biodiversity, cultural heritage, and livelihoods. Learn more at reefcheck.org.
Reef Check Quote: “Having personally watched sunflower stars disappear from our coast, and our kelp forests subsequently decimated by urchins, it is heartening to see stars in the water again and to see the results of this study that provide real hope for these beleaguered ecosystems” says Dan Abbott, Kelp Forest Program Director for Reef Check.
About Hopkins Marine Station
Part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Hopkins Marine Station is a marine research facility on Monterey Bay that has supported marine science, education, and discovery for more than a century. Through its marine operations program, Hopkins provides the vessels, scientific diving support, training, and operational resources needed to safely conduct research on and beneath Monterey Bay. Its boating and diving programs support Stanford researchers as well as regional collaborators, helping expand access to the water and strengthen marine research throughout Monterey Bay.
Hopkins Marine Station Quote: “Being able to support the incredible work of Sunflower Star Laboratory and contribute to the recovery of such an important species in our local ecosystem is exactly why strong collaborations across Monterey Bay matter.” - Chris Tomlinson, Operations Manager, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
About Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) , part of San Jose State University, is a marine research and education institution located in the heart of Monterey Bay. MLML supports collaborative, field- and laboratory-based marine science through its research facilities, scientific diving and boating programs, and seawater aquaculture infrastructure. In this project, MLML provided critical aquaculture infrastructure for sunflower star and sea urchin growout as well as boating, diving, and scientific support for field research in Monterey Bay.
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Quote: “Moss Landing Marine Labs is excited to support the critical work of Sunflower Star Laboratory. Collaborative science across institutions is central to MLML’s mission and vision. Uniting rigorous marine science with actionable conservation is a key area of research at MLML, and provides our graduate students with exceptional opportunities. It is exciting to see the sunflower star project grow, and I am eager to see what this amazing team learns next!” - Petra Dekens, Executive Director of Moss Landing Marine Labs
About California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is a public university serving California’s Central Coast with a strong commitment to student-centered education, research, and community engagement. Through its Department of Marine Science, CSUMB advances collaborative research focused on the ecology, conservation, and sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems. CSUMB contributed scientific expertise and field support to this collaborative effort, helping investigate how sunflower star restoration can influence sea urchins and the recovery of California kelp forests.
CSUMB Quote:“This work sits at an exciting intersection of fundamental ecology and hands on conservation. I’m fascinated by the possibility that restoring a single predator, the sunflower star, could have outsized effects on the persistence and recovery of entire kelp forest ecosystems. Understanding when, where, and how those effects emerge is compelling science, and translating that knowledge into responsible conservation practice is deeply fulfilling. While much of my work is rooted in California, the challenge and opportunity extend across the sunflower star’s range, spanning state lines and international borders. I believe this work can help us understand not only how to recover sunflower stars, but how restoring key ecological interactions can help recover entire ecosystems.” - Nathan B. Spindel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marine Science, California State University, Monterey Bay
