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In 2013–14, one of the largest marine disease outbreaks on record decimated sea star populations along the West Coast, turning over six billion Sunflower Stars into goo and rendering them functionally extinct in California. In part because of the loss of this keystone urchin predator, over 96% of Northern California's kelp forests have disappeared in the last decade. Sunflower Star Laboratory (SSL) is a conservation aquaculture nonprofit dedicated to restoring the critically-endangered Sunflower Star and saving California's kelp forests. SSL was formed in 2021 by concerned community members who watched California's kelp forests disappear before their eyes and were inspired to take action.In this free talk, learn about how SSL is currently raising part of the first cohort of human-reared juvenile Sunflower Stars in California, conducting scientific research, and coordinating Sunflower Star recovery with partner institutions across North America. The featured speaker is SSL Board Chairman Reuven Bank, a Santa Barbara resident and avid diver in our county’s kelp forests.
Join our fun and friendly conversation and quench your thirst for knowledge about science and nature in this ongoing series of free science talks held on the second Monday of every month. No tickets or reservations required, but be sure to get to Dargan’s (18 E. Ortega St. in downtown Santa Barbara) early to secure a seat and order your favorite food and drink.
For more information, contact [email protected] or call 805-682-4711 ext. 110.
Wild Sunflower Star photo by Marco Mazza
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant, 18 E Ortega St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-1629, United States,Santa Barbara, California
