Beating the heat at low tide: infrared thermography suggests persistent evaporative cooling in a keystone predator (Pisaster ochraceus)

Key Points

• This research aims to understand how intertidal sea stars manage body temperatures using evaporative cooling.
• Utilized infrared thermography to measure body surface temperatures of Pisaster ochraceus in situ.
• Compared sea stars' temperatures with surrounding air and ocean temperatures.
• Found that sea stars could be several degrees cooler than air and ocean temperatures.
• Identified evaporative cooling as a potential strategy for temperature regulation in intertidal animals.