Data from: Star Power: Early life stages of an endangered sea star are robust to current and near-future warming
Data files
Aug 01, 2025 version files 181.42 KB
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clones_exp1_2021_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
719 B
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clones_exp3_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
287 B
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emb_116hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
6.45 KB
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emb_18hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
5.67 KB
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emb_44hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
7.63 KB
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emb_70hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
10.90 KB
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emb_94hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
7.47 KB
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juv_diam_arm_number_exp3_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
5.77 KB
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larv_juv_exp4_2022_summary_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
1.24 KB
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Larv1_juv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
3.24 KB
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Larv1_larv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
8.03 KB
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Larv2_juv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
2.13 KB
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Larv2_larv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
11.12 KB
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notation_table_exp_guide.csv
4.64 KB
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post_spike_exp5_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
2.56 KB
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README.md
2.38 KB
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sea_star_flip_summary_exp6_2024_cleaned.csv
94.98 KB
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settlement_exp1_2021_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
1.79 KB
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size_data_exp6_2024_cleaned.csv
1.60 KB
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temp_shift_settle_exp2_2022_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
894 B
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time_to_spawning_2022_2023.csv
199 B
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two_week_growth_exp5_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
1.71 KB
Abstract
The sunflower star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, was a top benthic predator throughout its former range from Alaska to northern Mexico, until its populations were devastated starting in 2013 by a disease known as seastar wasting. The subsequent absence of sunflower stars from northern California waters was coincident with a dramatic ecological phase shift from healthy bull kelp forests (Nereocystis luetkeana) to barrens formed by purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), a prey of sunflower stars. Modeling suggests that restoration and resilience of kelp forests can be enhanced by the return of sunflower stars. Towards this end, we run a conservation breeding program for sunflower stars in the Salish Sea of Washington, where sunflower stars have persisted in much reduced numbers. We here report on a variety of investigations into the temperature tolerance of sunflower stars, focusing on their poorly studied early life stages from their planktonic embryos and larvae, through metamorphosis and settlement as they transition to the benthos, and then for eight months of juvenile growth. Our results indicate that the optimum temperature for early life stage sunflower stars is more than 4°C higher than ambient temperatures in the Salish Sea, and that the juveniles demonstrate enhanced performance to a simulated marine heat wave. These results suggest that Salish Sea-derived sunflower stars would be robust to current and even near-future predicted temperatures in the south of their former range.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g9s
Description of the data and file structure
OVERVIEW
Please see Table 1 in the linked PLoS One paper, which gives a full description of each experiment outlined below.
The file names should help the readers access the relevant data. So in Exp 1:
- “XXhrs” in th file names refer to the various timepoints in the embryo data, “hrs” being hours post fertilization.
- “clones” is the reported data on clones
- “Larv1” is the bipinnaria stage data; “Larv2” is the brachilaria stage data”
- “larv” and “juv” refer to the analyses of larval and juvenile characters as detailed in the text
- “settlement” is the reported settlement data
For Exp 3:
- “clones” is the reported data on clones
- the other file has the other reported data (juv size, arm number, etc)
For Exp 5:
- “post spike” is the growth data after the unexpected heat spike
- the other file has all of the relevant data for the 2 week experiment itself
And For Exp 6:
- “flip_summary” is the righting time data
- “size_data” is the growth data we report from this experiment
[end of OVERRVIEW]
Exp 1:
- clones_exp1_2021_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
- emb_18hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
- emb_44hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
- emb_70hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
- emb_94hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
- emb_116hrs_exp1_cleaned.csv
- Larv1_juv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
- Larv1_larv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
- Larv2_juv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
- Larv2_larv_char_exp1_cleaned.csv
- settlement_exp1_2021_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
Exp 2
- temp_shift_settle_exp2_2022_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
Exp 3
- clones_exp3_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
- juv_diam_arm_number_exp3_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
Exp 4
- larv_juv_exp4_2022_summary_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
Exp 5
- post_spike_exp5_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
- two_week_growth_exp5_2023_for_dryad_cleaned.csv
Exp 6
- sea_star_flip_summary_exp6_2024_cleaned.csv
- size_data_exp6_2024_cleaned.csv
Spawn
- time_to_spawning_2022_2023.csv
TERMINOLOGY NOTATION
For a complete glossary of terms used in these files (and for which experiment these terms are used in the data files), see the csv data file entitled “notation_table_exp_guide.csv”
DATE AND TIME NOTATION
Dates are listed as MM/DD/YYYY
Times are listed as HH:MM in 24 hr time