Seriously, this is what they call science, and it actually gets published as news
Scientists Pinpoint Cause of Massive Sea Star Die-Offs, and Suspect a Link to Global Warming
After years of scientific sleuthing, a team of West Coast researchers reported that they have identified a particular strain of ocean bacteria that has killed more than 6 billion sea stars since 2013. In a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, they said the die-off was caused by a type of Vibrio bacteria that was previously only known as a pathogen in some shellfish larvae.
Vibrio bacteria are more frequently causing problems in a warming world. The bacteria sometimes cause dangerous infections and intestinal illnesses in humans, including cholera.
The breakthrough finding will help scientists determine possible conservation or adaptation measures in response to the intensifying consequences of the sea star die-off. Sunflower sea stars, which can grow up to 3 feet across and sprout 24 arms, are critical to West Coast kelp ecosystems, where they devour certain types of sea urchins that can eat through the forests of seaweed if the sea stars don’t check their populations.
I mean, I’ll agree that the die-offs are bad. I just wonder, though, if it could possibly have a different cause, or, did they simply say “anthropogenic climate change”?
Human activities are speeding disruptions in many ecosystems and the rapid expansion of the Vibrio-driven sea star die-off shows how the impacts sometimes outpace scientists’ ability to study them.
The sudden spread of the disease caught scientists off guard, and for many years they suspected a viral pathogen, Gehman said. But researchers didn’t have much information about what the ecosystem was like before the outbreak.
“We didn’t know what was normal for the microbes and bacteria and the viruses in these systems,” she said. “When you don’t have a good idea of what used to be there, it’s hard to find what’s new. And that’s part of why we found the wrong thing for a while was because we found a virus and then it turned out to be a normal virus.”
So, they really do not know much, especially a baseline of what is normal.
“It is possible that warmer water temperatures combined with other ecological and evolutionary factors led to this devastating outbreak and die-off,” she wrote in an email, “but we don’t have that evidence definitively yet.”
So, they really do not know much, but, they’re happy to drag ‘climate change’ into it. I wonder though, has this happened in previous warm periods? Or, when the Earth was much, much warmer and the seas much, much higher?
Almost every time I post here now, I get a message that I have been banned.
The OP obviously is using a program to ban certain web addresses and slowly this OP’s program is diminishing the number of available sites to me to post relatively anonymously. Now I don’t pretend to believe I am invisible to intelligence agencies but I would like to keep myself from being outted by ordinary people with an ax to grind which Is why I use several different VPN’s.
Been swell matching wits with the lunacy of the world. But my posting days are over as I sail off into the sunset, my age rapidly becoming the prime issue. The battle is for the younger and more hardy. My wars have all been fought and my battles have been won and lost.
A tactical withdrawal is in order now. So long, fare the well to you all.
All the best. It’s been a challenge and pleasure.
Doom, you were never important enough to bother banning.
Your multiple VPNs are creating conflicts. It is a technical issue not a content issue. Enjoy your retirement.
In your defense, I am constantly amazed that computers and the internet work at all with all the things that can go wrong with them. Tens of thousands of companies producing hardware and software all expected to work together with the flick of a power button. Chaos.
A great deal of what I post in various places gets rejected because of the browser I use not being recognized. Nothing to do with some “OP” not wanting my content to be seen. I just learn which sites those are and don’t bother commenting there. I imagine this is particularly frustrating to you since your comments are so long. You could type for 20 minutes only to see your efforts evaporate.
As some point, we each will find out how important we are. Charles de Gaulle is credited for having once said, “the cemeteries are full of indispensable men”.
Like humans, the sea stars will learn to adapt to global warming.
Thank the gods that Mr trump is shutting down this type of funded “research” by scientists and turning it over to the blogosphere for free. Maybe the so-called “$cientists” will learn to code! LOL
Animals, even entire species, die. It’s the circle of life. Enterprising humans can harvest urchins from the depleted kelp beds and start an entire industry!
Anyway, all that the so-called “$cientists” discovered was that Vibrio sp. was killing the sea stars. They “speculate” that the Vibrio bacterium was spreading as a result of global warming. Others blame RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine campaign for the sea stars grim demise.
I never liked starfish anyway f ’em
Sometimes a “miniscule” change in temps can have big results.
NJ’s tiny 2 or 3 degree change in surface temp results in a huge loss in lobster eggs developing into larvae
This has resulted in90% Decrease in inshore lobster landings