ing ▁off ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁sympt oms ▁were ▁that ▁the ▁star fish ▁became ▁lim p ▁and ▁lost ▁lim bs ▁until ▁finally ▁mel ting ▁into ▁a ▁white ▁m uc us ▁like ▁paste . ▁▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁pl ague ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁the ▁pre dat ory ▁star fish ▁H eli aster ▁k ub in iji ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁a ▁was ting ▁disease ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁California . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁sus pected ▁that ▁high ▁water ▁temper atures ▁were ▁a ▁caus al ▁factor . ▁This ▁star fish ▁became ▁locally ▁ext inct ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁g ulf ▁and ▁some ▁populations ▁had ▁still ▁not ▁recovered ▁by ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Because ▁this ▁star fish ▁is ▁a ▁top - level ▁pred ator , ▁its ▁disapp earance ▁had ▁prof ound ▁effects ▁on ▁the ▁e cos ystem . ▁In ▁the ▁Channel ▁Islands ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁California , ▁ten ▁species ▁of ▁sea ▁star ▁were ▁recorded ▁as ▁being ▁affected ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁three ▁species ▁of ▁sea ▁ur ch ins , ▁two ▁brit t le ▁stars ▁and ▁a ▁sea ▁c uc umber , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁experienced ▁large ▁population ▁decl ines . ▁▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁- ▁Current ▁Pl agues ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁populations ▁of ▁sea ▁stars ▁decl ined ▁rapidly ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁between ▁New ▁Jersey ▁and ▁Maine . ▁There ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁great ▁increase ▁in ▁sea