So, ex-marine biologist here. This isn't the most uncommon occurrence for invertebrates like seastars. As they often will gather in large groups for mating, if a big storm with rough swells happens it could wash them into the 'surf zone', in which they would be throw onto the shore by the big waves.
edit: Didn't expect this to blow up! A couple of replies:
usually once animals wash up on the shore they are dead/dying. Throwing them back is not an option. Mating can be sexual or asexual (splitting) - inverts like seastars, urchins etc. will gather in a big clump and release eggs/sperm around the same time to ensure fertilization happens. Yes, it can be considered an Orgy is that is your thing. Seastars is the proper term, starfish can still be used. ex-marine biologist means I left my career/industry for something that pays more.
Although it's an upsetting sight, the stranding is a not a cause for huge concern.
Common starfish (Asterias rubens) are found on all British and Irish coasts. They also reproduce quickly.
Mass stranding of thousands of common starfish have been reported often along the coast of England, and other species have been known to strand on the east coast of North America.
Dr Chris Mah, a starfish researcher from the Smithsonian Institution, agrees with Andrew.
On his website, he says, 'In almost every instance that this has been reported, there have been reports of either storms or high winds.
'Bear in mind that storms don't just mean high winds and rough water current. It also means fresh water input. Echinoderms are notoriously intolerant of freshwater. Low salinity water might serve to weaken or otherwise just disable enough of them to be washed ashore.'
Dr Mah adds that starfish populations will usually bounce back.
He writes, 'Although it seems like hundreds to thousands of individuals, bear in mind that many of these species occur over a huge area and their spawn includes hundreds of millions of individuals.'
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
Surgeboy99 on November 27th, 2023 at 15:15 UTC »
So, ex-marine biologist here. This isn't the most uncommon occurrence for invertebrates like seastars. As they often will gather in large groups for mating, if a big storm with rough swells happens it could wash them into the 'surf zone', in which they would be throw onto the shore by the big waves.
edit: Didn't expect this to blow up! A couple of replies:
usually once animals wash up on the shore they are dead/dying. Throwing them back is not an option. Mating can be sexual or asexual (splitting) - inverts like seastars, urchins etc. will gather in a big clump and release eggs/sperm around the same time to ensure fertilization happens. Yes, it can be considered an Orgy is that is your thing. Seastars is the proper term, starfish can still be used. ex-marine biologist means I left my career/industry for something that pays more.Heap_Good_Firewater on November 27th, 2023 at 15:26 UTC »
Although it's an upsetting sight, the stranding is a not a cause for huge concern.
Common starfish (Asterias rubens) are found on all British and Irish coasts. They also reproduce quickly.
Mass stranding of thousands of common starfish have been reported often along the coast of England, and other species have been known to strand on the east coast of North America.
Dr Chris Mah, a starfish researcher from the Smithsonian Institution, agrees with Andrew.
On his website, he says, 'In almost every instance that this has been reported, there have been reports of either storms or high winds.
'Bear in mind that storms don't just mean high winds and rough water current. It also means fresh water input. Echinoderms are notoriously intolerant of freshwater. Low salinity water might serve to weaken or otherwise just disable enough of them to be washed ashore.'
Dr Mah adds that starfish populations will usually bounce back.
He writes, 'Although it seems like hundreds to thousands of individuals, bear in mind that many of these species occur over a huge area and their spawn includes hundreds of millions of individuals.'
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/march/thousands-of-dead-starfish-wash-up-on-a-kent-beach.html
Celily on November 27th, 2023 at 15:34 UTC »
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”