Starfish which disappeared from the West Coast of America many years ago have been found to be fighting their way back.They vanished because a mysterious syndrome caused them to disintegrate killing millions of them.

The Sea Star Wasting Syndrome killed a catastrophic number of sea creatures from British Columbia to Mexico in 2013-2014. Now, four years later, scientists have spotted starfish in Southern California tide pools.

Darryl Deleske, aquarist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro exclaimed that from Crystal Cove State Beach to Palos Verdes they are coming back, big time.

Deleske said that this will make a huge difference as a couple of years ago, he had driven all the way to Canada specifically looking for sea stars, but couldn’t find a single one. The latest outbreak of the syndrome had led to the largest die-offs of starfish, hence the spotting of four adult sea stars, each about 7 to 8 inches long at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach has brought cheer among the people.

 Kaitlin Magliano, education coordinator at the Crystal Cove Conservancy said that it was a treasure that they always hoped to find. "We lost all of them. It's good to see we have some surviving and thriving. Maybe the next generation will be more resilient," she said.