All articles tagged with #sea urchins
A study reveals that sea urchins possess a complex, brain-like nervous system spread throughout their bodies, including light-sensitive cells, challenging previous notions of their simplicity and offering new insights into nervous system evolution.
Recent research reveals that sea urchins possess a complex, integrated nervous system resembling an 'all-body brain,' challenging previous beliefs that echinoderms lack centralized brains and prompting a reevaluation of animal intelligence and nervous system evolution.
Efforts to restore California's kelp forests by smashing 5.6 million invasive sea urchins have led to significant recovery of these vital marine ecosystems, which provide habitat, store carbon, and protect coastlines, demonstrating a successful model for global kelp conservation.
Scientists have discovered that sunflower sea stars could help restore damaged kelp forests by deterring sea urchins that overgraze these vital ecosystems, offering a natural solution to environmental degradation. Field experiments show that the presence of sea stars causes red sea urchins to avoid kelp, potentially aiding in ecosystem recovery, though further research is needed to confirm long-term effects and impact on purple sea urchins.
A study by UC Santa Cruz researchers found that sunflower sea stars deter red sea urchins from grazing on kelp, creating a 'landscape of fear' that could aid in kelp forest recovery, especially after sea star populations declined due to disease. The research suggests that reintroducing sea stars might be a less labor-intensive method to control urchin populations and restore kelp ecosystems, which are vital for marine biodiversity and the economy.
A mysterious plague caused by a single-celled microorganism is decimating sea urchin populations globally, threatening coral reef ecosystems. The pathogen has led to near extinction in some regions, prompting urgent calls for monitoring and conservation efforts to prevent further ecological damage.
Scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have successfully created the first transgenic sea urchins, which glow under fluorescent light due to the insertion of jellyfish DNA. This breakthrough allows for easier genetic modification and study of sea urchins, potentially transforming them into a widely accessible model organism for research in neurobiology, developmental biology, and toxicology. The goal is to make these genetically modified urchins available to researchers globally, similar to how transgenic mice and fruit flies are used in labs.
Sea urchins have wreaked havoc on California's kelp forests, destroying them over a span of seven years. A combination of a marine heatwave and the disappearance of their main predator, sunflower sea stars, allowed the sea urchin population to explode. These sea urchins have entered a zombie-like state, containing very little edible meat, and are now dormant, waiting for any kelp sprout to emerge so they can devour it before other urchins can. They are described as method actors performing "The Waste Land," and their destructive behavior has had a significant impact on the marine ecosystem.
The mass deaths of black sea urchins in the Red Sea are causing a threat to the coral reefs and the entire ecosystem. CNN's Hadas Gold reports on the impact of the missing sea urchins on the coral reefs.
Sea urchins are dying off at an alarming rate in Israel's Gulf of Eilat due to an unknown pathogen, which threatens the Red Sea's prized coral reef ecosystems. The black sea urchin is critical to maintaining a healthy reef habitat, and without them, algae grow unchecked, choking off corals and compromising the delicate balance of the reef ecosystem. Researchers suspect a similar pathogen might also be responsible for killing sea urchins in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and have called for urgent action to protect already endangered reef ecosystems.
An epidemic spreading through the Red Sea has killed off an entire species of sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba, imperilling the region's uniquely resilient coral reefs. The probable culprit is a disease-causing ciliate parasite that brings with it a fast death. Sea urchins play an important role in maintaining balance by feeding on algae that would otherwise block sunshine and smother the reefs. The researchers suggest creating an isolated population of the remaining sea urchins that could hopefully be reintroduced later on.
Sea urchins in Israel's Gulf of Eilat are dying off due to an unknown pathogen, which is threatening the Red Sea's coral reef ecosystems. The black sea urchin is critical to maintaining a healthy reef habitat, and without them, algae grow unchecked, choking off corals and compromising the delicate balance of the reef ecosystem. Researchers suspect a "rapidly spreading epidemic" caused by an as-yet-unidentified pathogen. Urgent action is needed to protect Israel's already endangered reef ecosystems.
The entire population of black sea urchins in Eilat Bay has been wiped out by a suspected pathogenic parasite, which could cause irreversible damage to the coral reefs. Sea urchins play a critical role in preventing algae from suffocating corals. Reports of mass die-offs have also come from other Red Sea countries. Urgent steps are being considered to save the coral reefs, including the establishment of a black sea urchin breeding program. The vulnerability and sensitivity of Eilat Bay's ecosystem to environmental changes are being highlighted, and all bodies that deal with the bay are being called upon to discuss how to restrict the flow of nutrients into the sea.
A deadly epidemic caused by a ciliate parasite is spreading through the Red Sea, killing off an entire species of sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba, which is known for helping keep coral reefs healthy. The epidemic has also caused mass mortality in other countries in the region, including Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The sea urchins play an important role in maintaining balance by feeding on algae that would otherwise block sunshine and smother the reefs. The epidemic imperils the region's uniquely resilient coral reefs, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it at the moment.
The mass mortality of sea urchins, particularly black sea urchins, in the Mediterranean Sea has spread to the Gulf of Eilat, threatening to destroy the coral reef. Sea urchins are essential for coral reefs' healthy functioning, as they eat large amounts of plant materials, ensuring a balance that allows the corals to thrive against the algae. The pathology observed in the sea urchins dying in Greece and Turkey is identical to the pathology in the Caribbean, and it's also the pathology seen in the sea urchins dying in the Red Sea. The cause of mortality is a pathogenic ciliate parasite, and the team has submitted their report and recommendations for emergency steps to save the coral reefs to the Nature and Parks Authority.