New England waters seeing more starfish

SANDWICH, Mass. (AP) - Some New England waters are seeing a huge increase in the number of starfish roaming the sea floor, and marine scientists aren't sure exactly why.

But fishermen who harvest the region's shellfish are concerned that starfish -- properly known as sea stars -- could affect business because of their insatiable appetite for oysters, scallops, clams and mussels.

Peter Melanson, owner of the Sakonnet Oyster Co. Inc. in Little Compton, R.I., tells The Boston Globe that shellfish drive sea stars "crazy."

Terry O'Neil, a Massachusetts marine fisheries biologist, says sea star populations are cyclical, driven by the availability of food and weather.

Melanson says better pollution control has led to an increase in all species, which he sees as a positive.