The Stars Align at Our Spawniversary
On February 14th, 2024, Sunflower Star Laboratory helped facilitate the successful spawning and cross-fertilization of some of the last remaining sunflower stars under human care in California. This landmark moment shifted the paradigm for Pycnopodia recovery, enabling a network of partners, including SSL, to begin growing these critically-endangered keystone predators in conservation aquaculture facilities across our state.
Starfather Vince Christian gives a tour of SSL’s Laboratory to Spawniversary Guests
This Valentine’s Day, our starfriends came together for a one year ‘Spawniversary’ celebration of our progress since this milestone, and shared our love for our stars, our oceans, our community, and each other.
Hundreds of community members joined the festivities, visiting our lab and meeting the dozens of juvenile sunflower stars being raised at our facility. Our scientific team organized structured tours highlighting SSL’s extensive laboratory buildout over the past year, and demonstrated how we are putting our new facility to use leading sunflower star aquaculture and research.
Laboratory Technician Mariana Jimenez gives a tour of SSL’s wet table to starfriends at our Spawniversary celebration.
Thanks to the extensive preparation and planning of volunteer outreach coordinator Maryjanna Drummond and fellow SSL team members, the Spawniversary featured a marine conservation-themed artist market comprised of local photographers, painters, jade carvers, and other creative starfriends in our area, while nearby food vendors Fredo’s Vegan Tacos and Woodward Marine Market kept the community fed throughout the festivities.
Local artist and starfriend Madison McKay poses with a collection of art and jewelry at her table during the artist market at the spawniversary.
Sunflower Star Laboratory was founded by concerned local community members who watched our kelp forests disappear before our eyes and were inspired to take action. To this day, community is at the heart of our organization, and we embraced the chance to open our doors to starfriends from far and wide during the Spawniversary.
Every one of us has a role to play in restoring the sunflower star and saving our kelp forests, and we thank all of you who celebrated Spawniversary with us in-person or from afar for your passion and support, starfriends!
