Research and Management Priorities to Address Sea Star Wasting Syndrome: A Collaborative Strategic Action Plan Issue 1 By the Sea Star Wasting Syndrome Task Force Updated Nov 2018 Multiple mottled sea stars (Evasterias troscheli) losing arms and their grip as they succumb to sea star wasting syndrome in 2014 at Coupeville Wharf, Whidbey Island, Washington. Photo by Jan Kocian The Sea Star Wasting Syndrome Task Force http://www.piscoweb.org/sea-star-wasting-syndrome-task-force *Oversight Committee Members Working Group Leaders *Sarah Gravem, Oregon State University *Jennifer Burnaford, California State University Fullerton Amy Henry, University of California, Irvine Laurel Field, Oregon State University Elliot Jackson, Cornell University Noah Jaffe, San Francisco State University Malina Loeher, California Department of Fish and Wildlife *Bruce Menge, Oregon State University *Melissa Miner, University of California, Santa Cruz Contributors Emil Aalto, Stanford University Sean Bignami, Concordia University Jenn Burt, Simon Fraser University Cynthia Catton, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Tim Carpenter, Seattle Aquarium *Benjamin Dalziel, Oregon State University *Mike Dawson, University of California, Merced Christopher Derito, Cornell University Corey Garza, California State University Monterey Bay Maurice Goodman, California State University San Luis Obispo Cassandra Glaspie, Oregon State University *Drew Harvell, Cornell University Lenaïg Hemery, Oregon State University *Ian Hewson, Cornell University Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks Diego Montecino-Latorre, University of California, Davis Monica Moritsch, University of California, Santa Cruz *Priya Nanjappa, American Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Melissa Pespeni, University of Vermont Jonathan Robinson, Oregon State University Laura Rogers-Bennett, California Department of Fish and Wildlife *Steven Rumrill, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Cascade Sorte, University of California, Irvine Lauren Schiebelhut, University of California, Merced Jenna Sullivan, Oregon State University Dannise Ruiz-Ramos, University of California, Merced Allison Tracy, Cornell University Piper Wallingford, University of California, Irvine Special thanks to these stakeholders for their contributions Rylee Ann Alexander, University of California Davis Silke Bachhuber, Oregon State University Michael Behrens, Pacific Lutheran University Evonne Collura, Oregon Coast Aquarium Dalin D'Alessandro, Portland State University Chris Eardley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Steven Fradkin, National Park Service, Olympic National Park Katie Gavenus, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Alyssa Gehman, University of British Columbia, Hakai Institute Maya Groner, Prince William Sound Science Center, USGS Western Fisheries Research Center Caitlin Hadfield, Seattle Aquarium Joel Hollander, Seattle Aquarium Camille Hopkins, US Geological Survey Cori Kane, Oregon State University Amy Olsen, Seattle Aquarium Michelle Segal, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society Stephanie Tsui, University of California Davis Dick Van Der Schaaf, The Nature Conservancy Table of Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Background ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 The Outbreak ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 The Cause ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Environmental Influences ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Recovery Potential .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Ecological Significance............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 The Unique Challenges of SSWS and Other Marine Diseases ................................................................................ 8 The water medium .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Pelagic Larval Phases ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Climate Change in the Sea ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Observation Capacity ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Agency Structure ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 The Strategic Action Plan ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Why a Strategic Action Plan? ..............................................................................................................................................................10 Origin and Intent of the Plan ...............................................................................................................................................................11 Working Group Summaries ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Diagnostics and Epidemiology ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................................15 Goals and Action Items ..........................................................................................................................................................................16 Surveillance and Ecology .................................................................................................................................................... 19 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................................19 Goals and Action Items ..........................................................................................................................................................................20 Management, Conservation, and Recovery ................................................................................................................. 25 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................................25 Goals and Action Items ..........................................................................................................................................................................25 Communication, Outreach, and Citizen Science ........................................................................................................ 28 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................................28 Goals and Action Items ..........................................................................................................................................................................29 References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Executive summary The outbreak of sea star wasting syndrome that began in 2013 devastated many species of sea stars along the North American West Coast. While the outbreak has abated, the disease persists. While there are signs of recovery for some species or local populations, there are entire species and regions