面对这场突如其来的灾难，科学家展开了长达十余年的调查。然而，由于受感染海星体内缺乏可见 病原体，且难以找到完全未暴露的健康个体，病因鉴定工作一直进展缓慢。直到最近，加拿大不列颠哥 伦比亚大学等机构的科学家终于取得了突破性进展。他们利用野生和圈养的经检疫的向日葵海星，开展 了7项对照暴露实验。通过这些实验，他们发现一种非病毒病原体与海星消融病有关。随后，他们利用 基因测序技术，分析了来自这些海星的染病和健康组织的微生物群，最终成功鉴定出一种名为"Vibrio pectenicida"的细菌——正是这种细菌导致了海星消融病的发生。 在太平洋深处，一场无声的浩劫正在蔓延。 自2013年以来，一种神秘的疾病让数十亿海星如同被施了"融化咒"一般，逐渐解体，最终只剩下一 片狼藉。这场被称为"海星消融病"的灾难，不仅威胁着海星自身的生存，更对整个海洋生态系统造成了 深远影响。如今，科学家终于揭开了这场灾难背后的真相。 海星，这些五彩斑斓的海洋生物，曾是太平洋沿岸一道亮丽的风景线。然而，人们突然发现，这些 美丽的生物也会遭受巨大折磨——它们的身体逐渐出现白色病变，触手腐烂脱落，最终像被融化一样死 亡。这场灾难迅速席卷了从墨西 ...

Core Insights - A recent ecological study published in the journal "Nature Ecology & Evolution" identifies the pathogen Vibrio pectenicida as a cause of sea star wasting disease, which has led to billions of sea star deaths and significant loss of kelp habitats since 2013 [1][3][5] Group 1: Impact of Sea Star Wasting Disease - Sea star wasting disease has resulted in the largest recorded marine epidemic among non-commercial species, affecting sea star populations along the Pacific coast of North America from Mexico to Alaska [3][5] - The decline of sunflower sea stars, a key predator of herbivorous sea urchins, has led to a surge in sea urchin populations and subsequent overgrazing of kelp forests, which are critical habitats for many marine species [3][5] Group 2: Research Findings - The research involved seven controlled exposure experiments with both wild and quarantined sunflower sea stars, indicating the involvement of a living non-viral pathogen in the disease [5][7] - Genetic sequencing of microbial communities from diseased and healthy sea stars confirmed Vibrio pectenicida as a contributing factor to the disease, with laboratory experiments further validating this identification [5][7] Group 3: Future Implications - The findings may enable cross-environment and cross-species detection of sea star wasting disease, aiding in understanding its transmission and improving management strategies for wild populations facing outbreaks [7]