KANEOHE, Hawaii — A multi-agency effort led by the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources helps raise native sea urchins to combat invasive seaweed in Kaneohe Bay. The program recently reached a major milestone — the one millionth juvenile native sea urchin was released into the bay.
What You Need To Know
Since Jan. 2011, the AFRC on Sand Island has successfully spawned settled and raised native sea urchin on Sand Island
Native sea urchin act as underwater gardeners, eating invasive seaweed to allow sunlight to reach the coral, which helps coral grow and provides habitat for reef fish and other marine life
The sea urchin hatchery operates 24/7, raising sea urchins until their juvenile life stage, which takes about four to six months
The AFRC staff named the millionth urchin, “Vince,” in honor of long-time DLNR employee Vincent Goo, a fisheries technician at the center who passed away in 2021
