▁on ▁e chin od erm ▁populations ▁in ▁general , ▁and ▁a ▁c ili ate ▁proto zo an ▁par as ite ▁( Or ch it oph ry a ▁stell ar um ) ▁of ▁star fish , ▁which ▁e ats ▁s perm ▁and ▁effectively ▁em as cul ates ▁male ▁star fish , ▁th riv es ▁at ▁higher ▁temper atures . ▁However , ▁temperature ▁was ▁not ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁initial ▁out break ▁of ▁sea ▁star ▁was ting ▁disease ▁at ▁many ▁places ▁along ▁the ▁coast . ▁Un like ▁with ▁many ▁other ▁wild life ▁dise ases , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁link ▁between ▁the ▁density ▁of ▁sea ▁stars ▁at ▁a ▁location ▁before ▁disease ▁out break ▁and ▁the ▁sever ity ▁of ▁population ▁decl ine . ▁Thus , ▁this ▁out break ▁has ▁def ied ▁prediction ▁using ▁what ▁is ▁typically ▁understood ▁about ▁disease ▁spread . ▁ ▁Research ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁is ▁trans miss ible ▁from ▁one ▁star fish ▁to ▁another ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁disease - ca using ▁agent ▁is ▁a ▁micro organ ism ▁in ▁the ▁virus - size ▁range . ▁The ▁most ▁likely ▁candidate ▁caus al ▁agent ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁sea ▁star - associ ated ▁dens ov irus ▁( SS a D V ), ▁which ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁greater ▁abund ance ▁in ▁dise ased ▁star fish ▁than ▁in ▁health y ▁ones . ▁However , ▁evidence ▁for ▁this ▁virus ▁as ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁sea ▁star ▁was ting ▁disease ▁is ▁incon clus ive . ▁ ▁Tre at ment ▁ ▁In