Harvest Method does not Affect Survival and Condition During Gonad Enhancement of an Overabundant Sea Urchin

Abstract

Interest in sea urchin roe enhancement aquaculture is growing due to an increased global demand for high-quality roe that is suitable for export to international markets. Yet, finetuning of efficient collection methods and improved growing techniques are still key bottlenecks to industry success. Urchins suitable for roe enhancement are generally collected from rocky barrens where they occur in high densities. Few studies have investigated the efficiency of methods used to collect urchins from barrens or the associated short- and long-term handling effects due to collection methods. Here, we tested 2 methods to collect the purple sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, a species that is highl..