Declining Sea Urchin Population Poses Threats To Red Sea Coral Reef

The alarming death rate of sea urchins in the Gulf of Aqaba has serious consequences for the coral reef in the Red Sea.

The black sea urchin, a species known for maintaining a healthy reef habitat, has played a critical role in the reef ecosystem. Without them, the coral reef habitat will be engulfed by the growing number of green algae.

The death of the black sea urchins was first reported by Israeli researchers near the southern city of Eilat last January.

Sea Algae Competes With Coral Reef

Dubbed the "gardener of the sea," black sea urchins eat algae that grows on the reef. With their presence, coral reefs have a higher chance of surviving as they compete with algae for sunlight.

But with the deteriorating population of sea urchins, these also threaten the population of coral reefs.

"Sea algae can spread way faster than corals. Corals, as we know, can grow an average of 1cm in one year. Sea algae can grow 1cm in a day," Omri Omessi, a maritime inspector for the Israel Parks and Nature Authority who is based in Eilat, said as quoted by BBC.

The coral reefs in the Red Sea are believed to be unique, not just because of their stunning sites but also because of their ability to endure high temperatures, which cause coral bleaching.

Omessi called the phenomenon a "catastrophe" not only for the region but also for the Earth's coral reef.

"It's very, very important to keep this place going because gives hope for other coral reefs in the world. We can learn why we have this resistant coral bleaching," he told CNN.

Read Also: Sea Urchins Are Munching Kelp For Survival That Causes Ecological Imbalance

Epidemic Kills Sea Urchins

Omir Bronstein, a Marine biologist at Tel Aviv University and lead author on a series of papers about the sea urchin death, explained that a "rapidly spreading epidemic" caused by an as-yet-unidentified pathogen is the culprit of the killing.

"It's a fast and violent death: within just two days a healthy sea urchin becomes a skeleton with massive tissue loss," he told Associated Press.

In April, scientists from the United States discovered a single-celled parasite linked to the similar mass die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean.

Experts recalled that a pathogen killed 98 percent of the black sea urchins in the Caribbean in the 1980s, and they seemed to return to the Caribbean in 2022.

According to Israeli researchers, the Mediterranean and Red Seas may also be affected by a similar pathogen that kills sea urchins, and they urged the Nature and Park Authority to take immediate action to protect Israel's endangered reef.

Ian Hewson, a professor at Cornell University's Marine Mass Mortality Lab, has viewed the outbreak of the disease as a grave concern.

Hewson stressed that the "same agent is at work" in the Mediterranean and Caribbean that killed the sea urchins.

"If that is the case it will raise questions about how it is vectored between such geographically separated sites," he said.

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