Mass mortality of the long spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983-84 and resulting algal proliferation is a major factor reducing coral recruitment and survival. Re-establishing reef herbivory via population enhancement of this keystone herbivore is critical for Florida and represents a high-value strategy in parallel with efforts to tackle key environmental stressors. Our collaborative is the leading Diadema research and aquaculture production group in the U.S, with over a dozen publications on the topic and nearly 3,000 cultured urchins distributed to partners since 2021. We propose a project that will recruit and train a graduate student and further build towards scaled aquaculture and population enhancement in Florida. Research questions will address pinch points in the production process at the post-settlement and transport stages, conduct a basic economic analysis to inform cost-effective scale up, and ultimately stock and monitor hundreds of Diadema in the Florida Keys to demonstrate their utility for reef restoration. We will work with Florida Sea Grant agents and south Florida partners who have received and grown out cultured Diadema to conduct a workshop for practitioners and resource managers. This agent-led outreach will integrate the Florida Master Naturalist Marine Habitat Restoration course and allow interested parties and important stakeholders to experience Diadema husbandry and restoration first-hand. The proposed research project will be co-produced with end users that will benefit from its outcomes including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and The Florida Aquarium. Florida Sea Grant stakeholder priorities have been carefully addressed and the work addresses both the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture and Healthy Coastal Ecosystems nationally aligned programmatic goals.
Dr. Joshua Patterson (PI, UF); researchers from The Florida Aquarium and FWC.
