Successful Spawning of California Sunflower Stars!
Love is in the water for the critically endangered Sunflower Sea Star as a team in California successfully spawned and cross-fertilized gametes from a male and a female, resulting in fertile eggs. This success marks another incredible step forward in an ongoing collaborative effort to save the species from extinction.
This advancement took place at Birch Aquarium at Scripps where their experts were joined by partners from Aquarium of the Pacific California Academy of Sciences, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Sunflower Star Laboratory.
The team used three different sperm samples from the same male to fertilize the eggs. Through this approach, the team can identify optimal sperm storage techniques to enhance the chances of successful egg fertilization in future attempts.
Some fertilized eggs remained at Birch Aquarium, while the rest were transported to partners throughout California. Each partner will leverage their expertise towards the goal of culturing these fertilized eggs to larvae and then adulthood.
This collaboration is part of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE Sunflower Sea Star Program, co-led by Aquarium of the Pacific and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. It also contributes to a comprehensive multi-faceted, multi-partner “Roadmap to Recovery” ( in our bio) facilitated by The Nature Conservancy to help accelerate the recovery of this species along the West Coast.
“It is wonderful to have participated in the creation of the SAFE sunflower sea star, and seen how it has injected momentum into the restoration of this critically endangered species. The Nature Conservancy was instrumental in supporting our vision of building a strong foundation of collaborators, which is important for any conservation initiative. I am excited to see the inclusion and commitment of so many California partners, that will allow us to advance research in several aspects of sunflower star culture and restoration in the state.”
Download the full press release here. Media contacts email info@sunflowerstarlab.org
