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This project extends a previous Genome BC SOF aimed to identify speciation genes in an iconic BC sea star. The  focus of this work was on analyzing speciation genes that cause reproductive isolation among a large number of BC sea star species. There are more sea star species along the coast of BC than in any other coastal zone in the world and understanding the causes of speciation among BC sea stars at the genomic level would lead to a deeper understanding of the causes of marine biodiversity.

This work could develop resources for ongoing collaborations with Australia and the US on speciation in sea stars from other parts of the ocean, and future collaborations or analyses on relationships among sea star groups, and on the evolutionary response to disease outbreaks in ecologically important sea stars.