Program note: In moving to Rhode Island, living near the ocean again has inspired my interest in the ecosystems of a new and intriguing environment.  Sea stars, or starfish (étoiles de mer), have been around for 400 million to a billion years and some are regarded as keystone species, whose role as predators is critical to maintaining balance within the ecosystem.  I was fascinated and inspired by their symmetrical bodies, prickly skins, regenerative capabilities, and fragility of existence in a world among modern humans.