THE BOTTOM, Saba – Researchers have found that giving hatchery-raised long-spined sea urchins several weeks in the ocean before releasing them onto coral reefs could significantly improve their chances of survival.
The study, carried out by researchers from Van Hall Larenstein University, Wageningen University and partners on Saba, placed young Diadema antillarum on specially designed floating structures for six weeks. During that time, the sea urchins adapted to natural reef conditions, developing stronger spines and adopting the same shelter-seeking behaviour as wild sea urchins, hiding during the day to avoid predators.
Long-spined sea urchins play a vital role in Caribbean reef ecosystems by grazing on algae, allowing corals to grow and recover. Their populations collapsed after a mass die-off in the 1980s, contributing to widespread reef degradation. Scientists hope that this “ocean training” approach will increase the success of reef restoration efforts by producing sea urchins better equipped for life in the wild.
Environmental factors studied
Researchers will now focus on scaling up the technique and identifying which environmental factors are responsible for the successful acclimatisation, with the aim of incorporating them into regular sea urchin rearing programmes.
