Eventually, the team hopes for a return of these stars to Monterey Bay, where they can help maintain kelp forests, which are declining at a fast pace.

Eventually, the team hopes for a return of these stars to Monterey Bay, where they can help maintain kelp forests, which are declining at a fast pace.

The sunflower sea star is a big starfish — more than 3 feet across — that roams the ocean floor in orange, yellow and purple. These invertebrates can grow as many as 24 arms, and they’re ...

Scientists are worried about chemicals from burned materials (heavy metals, plastics, fire retardants) polluting the ocean.

The tubed arms of a sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) reach out deep underwater in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Monterey, Calif., on May 4, 2006. (Steve Lonhart/NOAA via ...

The water may be frigid, but brave the temperatures, and you're rewarded with a smorgasbord of brightly colored critters that ...