Mystery of Caribbean Sea Urchin Killer Solved by USF Scientist.
A mass mortality event that affected sea urchins in the Caribbean and Florida in 2022 has been solved by a team of experts who identified a microorganism called a scuticociliate as the culprit. The ciliate was found in every affected sample of sea urchins and was able to replicate the symptoms in healthy sea urchins under lab conditions. The team hopes that sharing this knowledge will help prevent further spread of the disease.