Starfish Could Be 'Drowning' as Climate Change Leads to Oceans Warming
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Though many people still deny there is any climate change, effects of global warming can be observed all across the planet. The latest confirmed victim of rising temperature is starfish.
According to new research, starfish are going through sea star wasting disease (SSWD). The study suggests they could be in respiratory distress where they “drown” in their habitat. While the obvious question is how can a sea creature drown, the answer lies in their breathing mechanism.
One of the scientists from Cornell University, Microbiology professor Ian Hewson explains how these ancient creatures breathe. The sea dwellers have structures known as papulae, or skin gills, on their body surface. Through these structures, they diffuse oxygen into their body. “If there is not enough oxygen surrounding the papulae, the starfish can’t breathe,” Hewson explains in a statement published on the Cornell University website.