IIRC, there is a segment of starfish that can be dissolved similar to a sponge, and this is commonly done when the starfish wants to spread out its biological range due to lack of food.

This (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/mysterious-...) seems to be a better article from last year about the same syndrome. Apparently this is a cyclical pattern and may be an as yet understood part of the starfish lifecycle. That article mentions warmer waters, overpopulation, and a potential (but as yet undetected) virus, which is also having an impact on the east coast.