diversity of starfish in villanueva mis.

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Marine Biodiversity
The state of having or being comprised of several components is diversity. It is an example of being
made up of several components or qualities: an example of diversity (Webster, 2022). The diversity of life in
the water is referred to as marine biodiversity. It comprises all sea creatures, plants, and microbes, from
barnacles to whales to coral reefs. The phrase often indicates the number of species found in a specific location.
Some areas feature such a diverse range of rare and endangered species that they are referred to as biological
"hotspots." These high biodiversity sites often support key biological activities such as spawning, nurseries, and
feeding grounds. Some have species that are not found anyplace else in the world. The Benguela Current Large
Marine Ecosystem off the coast of Namibia is an example of a marine biodiversity hotspot, as is the Central
Indo-Pacific region, which encompasses the coral reefs of Southeast Asia and Australia and has the most
species of any ocean area. Marine biodiversity is vital because it permits nature to remain prolific, robust, and
adaptive to environmental changes in our ocean (Marine Stewardship Council, 2018). Marine biodiversity can
prevent a single species' extinction from negatively impacting a marine environment. An ecological system is
said to be resilient if it continues to operate even when a species' population drops or goes extinct. A functional
ecosystem indicates that natural processes, including those that provide goods and services to people, such as
carbon storage or water filtration, are operating efficiently.
Each species in the water has a specific function, such as marine worms turning organic material into
carbon dioxide for photosynthesis by marine plants or sharks managing prey populations. Because several
species have similar tasks in an ecosystem, if one becomes extinct, another will be able to provide the same job
or 'service.' Sea stars are vital components of marine ecology and are regarded as keystone species. A keystone
species prey on creatures with no other natural predators; if they are removed from the habitat, their prey
population will grow and may push out other species. Knowing diversity, specifically marine biodiversity,
would help in the furtherance of this study because through this knowledge, the researcher would discover the
importance of the diversity of starfish in the given area.

Starfish
The starfish is not a fish; marine biologists have taken on the tough job of replacing the beloved
starfish's famous moniker with a sea star (National Geographic, 2020). It is an echinoderm linked to sea urchins
and sand dollars. Starfish have bony, calcified skin that defends them from most predators, and many of them
wear bright colors that either disguise or frighten away prospective assailants. There are no freshwater sea stars,
and just a few may be found in brackish water. Most people would describe a sea star as an animal with five
limbs around a center disc if asked to describe it. Five-armed stars in the Hampton area are the most common,
although sea stars may have six to fifteen or even fifty arms. Sea stars are remarkable for their capacity to
regenerate limbs and, in rare instances, complete bodies, in addition to their peculiar appearance. They do this
by cramming their vital organs into their arms. Some species need the core body to remain whole in order to
regenerate, whereas others may produce a completely new sea star from a part of a severed limb.
Sea stars consume bivalves, fish, and snails, so we provide lots of mussels and clams for them to eat.
The sea star crawls onto a clam and adheres to the clam's shells with its tube feet, pulling on the shells until the
clam weakens and opens the shells. When an opening appears, the sea star everts its transparent, baglike
stomach into it and onto the clam's body. It then secretes digestive enzymes onto the clam, slurps up the
partially digested clam and stomach, and completes digestion within its body. In the Discovery Center, keep an
eye out for feeding sea stars. Sea stars are vital components of marine ecology and are regarded as keystone
species. A keystone species prey on creatures with no other natural predators; if they are removed from the
habitat, their prey population will grow and may push out other species (Silver, 2019). A keystone species has a
significant impact on an ecosystem. For example, sea stars feed on mussels, and if the sea stars are removed
from the habitat, the mussel population will skyrocket, and other creatures may struggle to survive. Knowing
what sea stars are would greatly help the study to analyze their diversity better.

Diversity of Starfish
Diversity is important. It is all about sea stars in this instance. Information is critical to share with the
general public since they are a vital audience for increasing knowledge and awareness. Starfish, sometimes
known as sea stars, are star-shaped echinoderms of the class Asteroidea (/aestrdi/) (The Marine Detective,
2020). These terms are commonly attributed to ophiuroids, which are accurately referred to as brittle stars or
basket stars. Starfish are sometimes referred to as asteroids since they are members of the Asteroidea class.
There are over 1,900 species of starfish on the seafloor of the world's seas, ranging from warm, tropical zones to
cold, arctic areas. They may be found below the surface from the intertidal zone to 6,000 m (20,000 ft). The
fossil record for starfish dates back to the Ordovician period, roughly 450 million years ago, although it is pretty
scant since starfish disintegrate after death. Only the animal's ossicles and spines are likely to be intact, making
remains challenging to find. Starfish has been featured in literature, folklore, design, and popular culture due to
their beautiful symmetrical form. They are occasionally collected as curios, utilized in design or as logos, and
consumed in certain cultures despite their potential toxicity. There are 31 species of sea stars in the Class
"Asteroidea" just off our shore. Despite this, prominent news sources have reported on sea stars as though they
were ALL ONE SPECIES. Not only do various sea stars have varied biological needs, but communicating
about them as if they were one species has tremendously detailed comprehension of what is occurring with Sea
Star Wasting Disease (SSWD). When just a few species members are spotted, wording such as "But now, the
species is rebounding" is used. Knowing the diversity of starfish would help the furtherance of the study
because the study aims to discover the diversity of starfish in the area of concern. By knowing the different
species and how diverse sea stars are, the researcher would be able to achieve the aim of the study.

References:
Marine Stewardship Council. (2018). Marine biodiversity. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from

https://www.msc.org/en-au/what-we-are-doing/oceans-at-risk/marine-biodiversity

National Geographic. (2020). Starfish. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/starfish-1

Silver, C. (2019, April 27). Creature Feature: Sea Stars. Blue Ocean Society. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from

https://www.blueoceansociety.org/blog/creature-feature-sea-stars/

The Marine Detective. (2020, December 28). Sea Star Diversity. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from

https://themarinedetective.com/2020/12/28/sea-star-diversity/
Webster, M. (2022, July 12). Diversity. Meriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity