I’ve been an Oceanographer for forty years or more
But what’s happening here in our north west I’d never seen before
From Santa Barbara to Alaska, all along the shore,
The sea stars are all dying, melting into gore.
We’ve noted small white lesions and weirdly twisted arms.
We’ve seen whole populations die and we’re sounding the alarm.
The ecosystem’s dying, there’s a virus on the loose.
I’ve brought up buckets of remains to help search for the truth.
There’s a killer lurking off our shores, one, as yet, without a name.
If there’s any consolation- dying sea stars feel no pain.
Our oceans are in trouble from pollution from the shore.
Vast swathes gone anaerobic can’t support life anymore.
When all the stars are gone then barnacles will spread unchecked
We’ll race with time to find a cure before the shore is wrecked...