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Kelp forests along the Central and Southern coast are being destroyed by hungry sea urchins, leading UC Santa Barbara doctoral students conduct a study on what this could mean for the marine environment.
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Purple sea urchins are devouring California's kelp forests at a rate and size that has scientists, fishermen, and divers equally baffled. However, red and purple urchins have long lived in kelp forests, indicating that the three species may coexist. UC Santa Barbara researchers wanted to know what causes disrupted this equilibrium. A new study conducted by the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) discovered that a dramatic outbreak of kelp-eating sea urchins along California's Central Coast in 2014, which resulted in a significant reduction in the region's kelp forests.
Urchins emerge to forage on living kelp when they can’t catch kelp scraps, mowing down swaths of the underwater forest
Urchins emerge to forage on living kelp when they can’t catch kelp scraps, mowing down swaths of the underwater forest