Why do starfish wash up on the beach?

In the winter of 2012, many people scratched their heads after an estimated 50000 starfish washed up on a beach in Ireland. ... An estimated 4,000 starfish, along with whelks' eggs, washed up on the shore after a winter storm. ... Instead, it typically crawls from surface to surface and does particularly well in rocky areas. read more

Most commonly you will find seastar washed up on a beach after a storm. They are benthic (bottom living) animals. Species that live on hard ground typically stick to the bottom with suction-cup-like tube feet. read more

A year after the mass starfish stranding in Ireland made the news, a similar event occurred on the beaches near Lincolnshire, England. An estimated 4,000 starfish, along with whelks’ eggs, washed up on the shore after a winter storm. Whelks’ eggs and the common starfish both reside in shallow water. read more

Some were curled up, their spiny feet pointing towards the sky. Others lay flat where they had been washed up by the tide. All were dead. If the collective noun for a normal group of starfish is a constellation, then this pitiful sight on the Kent coastline was more like a galaxy. read more