Tag: sea urchins

UF scientists find good places to grow long-spined sea urchins, a starting point to restore ‘the lawn mowers of the reefs’

by Brad Buck

September 12, 2023

Scientists call long-spined sea urchins “the lawn mowers of the reefs” because they eat algae that could otherwise smother reef ecosystems and kill corals. That’s why researchers affiliated with the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aaron Pilnick, Caribbean, Coral Reefs, Florida Aquarium Conservation Campus, Florida Keys, Florida Sea Grant, Josh Patterson, Juvenile, Larva, Long-spined Sea Urchins, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Settlement, Substrate, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Scientists discover cause of sea urchin die-offs in the Caribbean: a protozoan parasite

by Tory Moore

April 19, 2023

Highlights The long-spined sea urchin is an important species that helps keep coral reefs healthy. When long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean began to die in large numbers in early 2022, scientists jumped in and discovered that a ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Caribbean, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Florida Sea Grant, Keystone Species, Long-spined Sea Urchins, NOAA, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins

UF-led research gets help from NFL player and an Air Force veteran to restock sea urchins on coral reef

by Brad Buck

March 27, 2023

On and off over the past four decades, scientists have tried a handful of times to restore sea urchins on coral reefs because they eat harmful algae that otherwise smother the ecosystems. Results of a new collaborative study show promise ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aaron Pilnick, Air Force Veteran, Algae, Apollo Beach, Caribbean, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Coral Reefs, Diadema, Florida Aquarium, Force Blue Team, Frost Museum Of Science, Key Biscayne, NFL, Rainbow Reef, Restocking, Restoration, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Survival

UF research shows a step toward restoring sea urchins: ‘The lawnmowers of reefs’

by Brad Buck

August 15, 2022

Coral reef ecosystems are severely threatened by pollution, disease, overharvesting and other factors. For thousands of years, long-spined sea urchins helped keep reefs intact. They eat seaweed, which can kill or seriously damage coral. Without ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Coral Reefs, Ecosystem, Fish, Florida Aquarium, Josh Patterson, Long-spined Sea Urchins, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Seaweed, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Sea stars, Sea cucumbers, Sea urchins and more…

by Betty Staugler

October 10, 2017

Invert Trivia: What group of invertebrate species shares these three distinctive features? 1) A body with five-part symmetry; 2) an internal skeleton made of calcium carbonate; and 3) a water vascular system of fluid-filled vessels that manifests ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Tags: Brittle Stars, Echinoderms, Feather Stars, Sand Dollars, Sea Biscuits, Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, Starfish

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