In research published monday of this week, scientists have finally isolated the virus that is causing a mass die off of sea stars along the pacific west coast. The scientists have isolated the virus and refer to it as sea star associated densovirus.

Discovering the virus proved to be extremely difficult and time consuming as one single drop of seawater contains 10 million individual viruses. A coordinating team of scientists from universities, aquariums, government agencies and other organizations across the globe worked together to solve the mystery.

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