After purple urchins helped nearly wipe out 96% of California's iconic underwater bull kelp forests over a six-year span, biologists say they are seeing promising signs that efforts to save them may be helping.
    • CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.worldEnglish
      18·
      9 months ago

      I read it accurately as urchin crushing, but still thought they were talking about destitute children at first (a la Oliver Twist).

    • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      I was about to get all political with it too … as the theme of one of the political parties in the US

    • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      I straight up thought we were crushing them with kelp. Which my first two thoughts were; why that is a terrible thing to do and I am sure there is a better way to crush them than kelp.

      Fucking brains they are an odd thing.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        21·
        9 months ago

        I mean, this is lemmy.

        But also, yeah, I didn’t realize they were actually so pervasive that they’ve destroyed 96% of the kelp forests in that area.

        • MorrisonMotel6@lemm.eeEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          And they are also eating them, but specify these urchins specifically have less roe and other edible parts, so they are basically more trouble than they’re worth to eat

    • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      Sea urchins as a food source was addressed in the article:

      Red urchins are favored over the purple urchins because they contain more edible uni or roe inside, but commercial divers say the amount has shrunk with less kelp.

      Chefs have started serving purple urchins to build a market.