Sunflower Star Laboratory

???? A lovely Spawniversary in the books, starfriends! On Valentine’s Day, our starfriends came together and celebrated our love for our oceans, our community, our mission, and each other! 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 love the chance to open our doors to starfriends from far and wide. Every one of us has a role to play in caring for the environment and world around us, and we thank all of you who celebrated Spawniversary with us in-person or from afar for your passion and support. We ?? you, starfriends! #SunflowerStarLab #Spawniversary #Conservation #Kelp #Marine #Oceans

?? Our Star Team is growing ?? This January, Sunflower Star Laboratory hired Andrew Kim as the full-time laboratory manager for our conservation aquaculture facility! Andrew has over 15 years of experience in animal husbandry and aquaculture in Monterey Bay. He was previously the lead aquaculture research technician at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories where he offered lead technical support on numerous aquaculture-related projects from Purple-Hinged Rock Scallop larviculture to white abalone conservation breeding, bull kelp restoration and much more! He previously worked at Long Marine Labs and at the Monterey Abalone Company, where he managed scientific collections and abalone production from hatchery to harvest. Andrew is also a cofounder of Sunflower Star Laboratory, serving as an SSL Board Director since our incorporation. “I’m hoping to identify and address some important challenges to scaling Pycnopodia conservation aquaculture in order to advance the lab’s mission of restoring this keystone species,” Andrew explained. “Few folks have had the opportunity to work with larval and juvenile Pycnopodia - I’m looking forward to conducting studies with our lab team and collaborators that might illuminate novel biological and behavioral phenomena across their varying life stages that might have both ecological implications and inform practices in conservation aquaculture, while simultaneously designing, building and optimizing our laboratory spaces and functions to facilitate research on, and maintenance of, a healthy lab-raised population of sea stars.” Andrew’s hiring builds upon the herculean effort of SSL Founder and Lab Manager Emeritus Vince Christian, who has donated an immense amount of time and effort to propel SSL to our current state. Vince will appreciatively take a step back in the coming year from lab management and lab volunteer oversight, and looks forward to being an expert lab volunteer. Together with Vince, lab technician Mariana, intern aquaculture researcher Cailley, and our volunteers, Andrew is “most looking forward to working and thinking creatively with our lab and science team and am looking forward to helping develop and foster a safe and collaborative environment so we can all put our best collective podia forward as we reach out into the unknowns.” “I'm also looking forward to sharing and learning from our mistakes, growing collectively, and ultimately advancing toward our goal of restoration and conservation while developing deeper connections in our local and coast-wide communities.” To learn more about the work Andrew and our team, click the ?? in our bio or head to sunflowerstarlab.org. #Conservation #Aquaculture #Pycnopodia #SunflowerStar [Images: Lab Manager Andrew works with Lab Technician Mariana at a wet table in Sunflower Star Laboratory. Lab Manager Andrew and Lab Manager Emeritus Vince work together on either ends of an SSL wet table.]

?? Star Team Reunites! ?? This weekend, the Sunflower Star Laboratory Board of Directors came together for a planning retreat hosted by our starriends at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 2024 was a transformational year for Sunflower Star Laboratory. Facilitated by Secretary of the Board Laura, the retreat provided an opportunity for our team to strategize how to capitalize on our progress and build our organizational capacity for years to come. Head to the ?? in our bio to learn more about what our team has accomplished, and how you can help us restore the sunflower star and save our kelp forests. #KelpForest #Conservation #SunflowerStar #Pycnopodia

We’re excited to announce that superstar scientist Mariana Jimenez has been hired as a laboratory technician / lab volunteer manager for Sunflower Star Laboratory! Mariana recently completed an internship with SSL in partnership with Minorities In Aquaculture, and we are ecstatic to have her continue to expand SSL’s capabilities and care for our stars. “I’m excited to deepen my aquaculture knowledge working alongside [lab manager] Andrew and collaborate with our dedicated volunteers,” Mariana explains. “I look forward to improving lab operations, fostering a welcoming space, and empowering diverse intersectional identities in aquaculture. This role offers a great opportunity to learn and make a meaningful impact on both the lab and the broader community.” Prior to joining SSL, Mariana’s research focused on applied methodologies to enhance marine management and conservation, addressing anthropogenic stressors. As a first-generation graduate from CSU Monterey Bay with a B.S. in Marine Science and a minor in Data Science, she brings a unique perspective to her field. “As a Latina marine scientist, I’m excited to contribute to the lab’s mission while advancing my passion for conservation aquaculture and advocating for minorities. I’m eager to help create a more inclusive environment and expand SSL’s impact in the field.” Please joining us in welcoming Mariana to SSL’s staff, and stay tuned for further updates about new / continuing members of our lab team! #SunflowerStar #Pycnopodia #Aquaculture #Conservation

?? Fire Update: Our staff, stars, and lab are safe, Starfriends ?? On Thursday, January 16th, a fire broke out at a Moss Landing lithium battery storage plant, a short distance from Sunflower Star Laboratory’s conservation aquaculture facility. Evacuation orders were soon put in place for surrounding areas that included our facility. Once the orders were lifted, our laboratory team went straight to work to ensure our stars remained healthy and content, completing water changes, sealing the building, installing air filtration, and adding a ‘starcam’ to keep a remote eye on our juvenile sunflower stars. As our laboratory manager reported from our facility yesterday, “Stars are happy” ?????? Sunflower Star Laboratory is thankful for our community of Starfriends who reached out and offered support as the fire unfolded. #SunflowerStars #Pycnopodia #Conservation #Aquaculture #Ocean #Fire [Images: the Moss Landing Powerplant Fire as seen from a parking lot near our facility; our lab team poses with happy stars at our wet table once the evacuation order was lifted; A portion of the emergency air filtration upgrades to our lab installed after the fire.]

Thanks to California State Parks for recently inviting Sunflower Star Laboratory to present to Seacliff and Natural Bridges State Beaches’ volunteer docents about sunflower star conservation and kelp forest recovery! Our lab was heartened by the enthusiasm of the docents to interpret sea stars and their vital role in our coastal ecosystems. We even got to preview an awesome sunflower star-themed evening program from interpreter Josefina, which she’s been delivering since before Sunflower Star Laboratory was founded! #SunflowerStar #Outreach #Community #Aquaculture

??Happy Sunflower Star Day!?? Our starfriends at Peppermint Narwhal have designated November 17th as Sea Star Day, in honor of the critically-endangered sunflower sea star. Join us in celebrating these keystone predators by checking out how Sunflower Star Laboratory is working to restore the sunflower star to save California’s remaining kelp forests at www.sunflowerstarlab.org #Conservation #Aquaculture #SunflowerStar

?? Halloween Idea: Kelp Forest Haunted House ?? Kelp forests are vibrant ecosystems, supporting thousands of marine species and bettering the health of our communities and our planet. From the air we breathe, to the coastlines we depend on, to the food we eat, kelp forests impact all of our lives. The widespread disappearance of Northern California’s kelp is a scary proposition, which is why Sunflower Star Laboratory is committed to restoring sunflower stars to save these essential marine ecosystems. Click the ?? in our bio to learn why sunflower stars can be a key tool for kelp forest recovery, and how you can support our work! Thanks to starfriend Sage Ono for sharing this haunting photo of a bull kelp forest under urchin siege with us! #SunflowerStar #Urchin #Barren #Halloween #Marine #Conservation

POV: The last thing an urchin sees before it becomes a star snack ?? Sunflower stars are voracious predators, capable of chasing down a wide array of marine species for lunch. Their 15,000 tube feet help them snare urchins, snails, and other prey, and funnel their catch towards their mouth. While sunflower stars are excellent hunters, they also are scavengers, having been documented feasting on dead or dying lingcod, squid, and other larger ocean creatures. While sunflower stars live in many habitats and eat a variety of prey, they serve a vital role as keystone predators in kelp forest ecosystems, eating purple urchins and scaring them into changing their behavior. When sunflower stars disappeared from California’s seascape a decade ago, urchins proliferated and mowed down our kelp. To learn more about how Sunflower Star Laboratory is recovering critically-endangered sunflower stars to save our kelp forests, head to www.sunflowerstarlab.org #SunflowerStar #MarineConservation #Oceans #Aquaculture Photo courtesy of starfriend Kevin Lee, copyrighted / all right reserved.

Sunflower Star Laboratory recently stopped by Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory to tour the White Abalone Captive Breeding Program at University of California, Davis! Humans fished 99% of white abalone in just about 10 years in the 1970s, leading to drastic population declines. White abalone were the first marine invertebrate listed as endangered in the United States, and scientists at the White Abalone Project are working to restore this iconic species. Since 2019, NOAA Fisheries and its partners have been outplanting white abalone grown by the White Abalone Project and monitoring their survival, movement, and growth. Sunflower Star Laboratory is grateful to have models like The White Abalone Project that demonstrate the power of collaborative conservation aquaculture programs to save species from extinction. If you want to learn more about The White Abalone Project, head to https://lnkd.in/gKBmWVBv #Marine #Conservation #Aquaculture #Oceans #Abalone