Purple sea urchins, beware: There’s a purple urchin-eating predator on the horizon — and its name is the sunflower sea star. That’s the plot line coming from a small upstart research facility in Moss ...

A sunflower sea star may be about to snack on some sea urchins in California. Brent Durand/Moment via Getty Images Before 2013, divers on North America’s west coast rarely saw purple sea urchins. The ...

THERE HAS BEEN A SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH AND A LOCAL MARINE BIOLOGY LAB PLAYED A KEY ROLE. THE "SUNFLOWER STAR LAB" IN MOSS LANDING IS REPORTING ADVANCEMENT IN WHAT IS CALLED "SEA STAR CRYPTO ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. While they have no backbone, sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia ...

Before 2013, divers on North America's west coast rarely saw purple sea urchins. The spiky animals, which are voracious kelp eaters, were a favorite food of the coast's iconic sunflower sea stars. The ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Rebecca Vega Thurber, University of California, Santa Barbara (THE CONVERSATION) ...

Rebecca Vega Thurber does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...