Climate-Resilient Marine Organism: The Pink Sea Urchin Species Could Offer a Delicious and Enduring Food Supply

In the face of increasing demands for sea urchin worldwide and the potential impacts of climate change on red sea urchins, a researcher from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Kirk Sato, is leading a study to explore the viability of the pink sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus fragilis) as an alternative urchin fishery.

The pink sea urchin, which is becoming increasingly widespread throughout southern California, may offer a potential solution. Despite its roe being smaller on average, Sato believes it could serve as a fallback or supplemental fishery if the red sea urchin fishery continues to struggle.

Currently, it's legal for urchin divers to harvest pink sea urchins, but it's not practical due to their deeper habitats and lack of market. However, a suggestion has been made to allow spot prawn fishermen to keep and sell any pink sea urchins they catch as bycatch.

Researchers need more information on growth rates of pink sea urchins. To gather this data, they analysed years of trawl data and found that the urchin species is most abundant at a depth of 250 to 300 meters (820 to 984 feet), similar depths where spot prawn fishers set their traps, and that winter is the primary time when the urchins produce edible roe.

Processing trials and taste tests are needed for pink sea urchins to determine their quality and potential marketability. If successful, this could open up a new fishery for pink sea urchins, but it would require state and local agencies to approve and establish regulations.

The current sea urchin fishery in Southern California is experiencing existential stressors due to regional warming, ocean acidification, and hypoxia. The large red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) caught off the coast of Southern California is particularly vulnerable to increased water temperatures and ocean acidification.

The primary food source for sea urchins in California is kelp forests, which were decimated throughout the region during the 2014 warm blob and 2015 El Niño. This has further emphasised the importance of identifying and facilitating potential climate-tolerant fisheries, incorporating changes in ocean oxygen content and acidity into fisheries management practices, as emphasised by Rudie.

Sato's research indicates that the fragile pink sea urchin is hardier than its red cousins, thriving at greater depths, lower oxygen levels, and higher acidity levels than other urchin species. This hardiness, combined with its potential to support a viable fishery, makes the pink sea urchin an interesting candidate for a replacement fishery.

However, it's important to note that there are no current research findings or developments regarding the replacement fishery using the pink sea urchin in California, nor any reports on the possibility of pink sea urchin roe being offered on sushi menus in California based on the available search results.

Nevertheless, the potential benefits of exploring a pink sea urchin fishery are significant, and further research is needed to determine its feasibility and potential impact on the fishing industry and the environment.

Climate-Resilient Marine Organism: The Pink Sea Urchin Species Could Offer a Delicious and Enduring Food Supply