Star Bulk Redeploys the Star Sigma

ATHENS, GREECE, January 9, 2012

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the "Company” or "Star Bulk”) (Nasdaq: SBLK), a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, today announced that the vessel Star Sigma ("Star Sigma”), which was time chartered to Pacific Bulk Shipping Ltd. of Hong Kong ("Pacific Bulk”) until October 2013 at a gross daily rate of $38,000, was redelivered to the Company.

Pacific Bulk has agreed to pay the Company a lump sum of $5.734 million in cash for the early redelivery of this vessel. The Company received a cash installment of $3.5 million on January 5, 2012 and the remaining balance of $2.234 million is scheduled to be paid by Pacific Bulk on/or about January 20, 2012. In addition to the lump sum payment, Pacific Bulk supplied Star Sigma with 1,027 metric tons of fuel, valued approximately $0.7 million.

Following its redelivery to the Company, the Star Sigma was employed in the spot market under a voyage charter, at a gross daily time charter equivalent rate of approximately $29,400, and is expected to complete its voyage in early April 2012.

About Star Bulk
Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk's vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks such as bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "SBLK". Currently, Star Bulk has an operating fleet of fifteen dry bulk carriers, consisting of seven Capesize, and eight Supramax dry bulk vessels with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,625,943 deadweight tons. The average age of our current operating fleet is 10.6 years.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. press release