Microplastics and pesticides aiding death of sea stars in Washington state – study

Researchers looking at mass sunflower sea star die off in Puget Sound found the two impacted growth of young ones

Microplastics and a widely used pesticide are helping kill off sea star populations in Washington state's Puget Sound, new research shows.

The findings come as researchers look into what has caused a mass sunflower sea star die off in the region. Though it's not yet clear whether the toxic substances are at the die off's root, the study found that microplastics and the pesticide have detrimental impacts on young sea stars, which could prevent the population from rebounding.