04/20/2026
⭐️Another series of tide pool travel posts, part one⭐️
I spent the past week out west visiting friends and family. I stayed in San Diego and of course had to go tide pooling near pier in La Jolla.
These colorful ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceous) were all over the place! Similar to our Asterias species on the east coast, they are a key bivalve predator and have been impacted by Sea Star Wasting Disease outbreaks. Though the outbreaks on the west coast have been more severe, it’s thought that the outbreaks are triggered by the same causative agents on both coasts.
I’m always fascinated by the relationships between our tide pools in Maine and tide pools elsewhere. Even in entirely different oceans, everything in the marine world is connected.
