▁star ▁numbers ▁three ▁years ▁earlier , ▁though ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁they ▁were ▁dying ▁off . ▁No ▁cause ▁for ▁the ▁myster ious ▁death s ▁was ▁apparent . ▁On ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast , ▁a ▁mel td own ▁of ▁sea ▁stars ▁was ▁first ▁found ▁in ▁och re ▁stars ▁and ▁sun flow er ▁stars ▁in ▁How e ▁Sound , ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁In ▁late ▁August , ▁the ▁disease ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁found ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁Al aska ▁to ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁a ▁mass ▁die - off ▁of ▁sea ▁stars ▁was ▁reported ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁The ▁sea ▁bed ▁was ▁l itter ed ▁with ▁dis integr ating ▁sun flow er ▁stars ▁( P yc n op odia ▁hel ian th o ides ), ▁their ▁det ached ▁arms ▁and ▁disc s . ▁Another ▁species ▁also ▁suffering ▁mort al ities ▁was ▁the ▁morning ▁sun ▁star ▁( Sol aster ▁da w son i ), ▁but ▁no ▁cause ▁for ▁the ▁death s ▁was ▁apparent . ▁If ▁they ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁in fection ▁or ▁to x ins , ▁the ▁two ▁species ▁might ▁have ▁affected ▁each ▁other ▁because ▁the ▁di et ▁of ▁each ▁includes ▁sea ▁stars . ▁▁ ▁In ▁spring / sum mer ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁reports ▁of ▁sea ▁stars ▁experien cing ▁was ting ▁sympt oms ▁came ▁from ▁V ancouver , ▁B . C . ▁and ▁from ▁southern ▁and ▁central ▁California . ▁Observ ations ▁of ▁sympt oms ▁spread ▁throughout ▁California ,