Giving Compass' Take:

• Katherine Martinko argues that eating more sea urchins could actually save our oceans as they are in desperate need of population control, and are a much more sustainable source of protein. 

• What role can donors play in contributing to solutions that address ocean biodiversity and sustainability?

•  Here are 14 technologies and innovative businesses that can save our ocean.


'Eat more seafood to save the oceans' is not a message we hear much these days, but when it comes to one particular species, it might just work. Sea urchins are notoriously hungry creatures that ravage kelp forests when their natural predators disappear, due to overfishing, warming waters, pollution, or a tsunami. Once the kelp forests have been consumed, the urchins starve but remain alive in stasis for years, their shells empty and unappealing to predators, but still preventing the kelp's regeneration. The resulting 'urchin barrens' are essentially underwater deserts, where nothing grows and no other fish species can live.

Enter an innovative company called Urchinomics. It collects these empty yet living urchins and relocates them to an underwater ranch, where they're fed a specially formulated feed made from Japanese kombu (also kelp, taken from places with an overabundance or sustainably farmed). The feed is 100 percent natural and plant-based, with no corn, soy, antibiotics, growth hormones, or fishmeal added. The urchins fatten up in 4-10 weeks, depending on conditions, and are then harvested for human consumption. Even more impressive is how little feed it takes to grow urchins – a mere 0.4 kg to produce 1 kg of roe. Compare that to the 28 kg of feed required to produce 1 kg of farmed bluefin tuna, or 6 kg for beef.

Urchin roe, known as 'uni' in Japanese, is popular among sushi lovers. Urchinomics describes it as having "a buttery, sweet and briny flavor with a creamy rich gold consistency. Connoisseurs of milder caviars will find a strong similarity." Bon Appétit named it a top food trend in 2018, saying it's gone from being an acquired taste to being everywhere. The flavor is affected by what the urchin eats, which is why Urchinomics has opted for Japanese kombu in the feed, to maximize the desirable "umami" taste.

Read the full article about eating more sea urchins by Katherine Martinko at TreeHugger.