With the global demand for sea urchin roe, known as "uni," reaching up to $110 per kilogram, the aquaculture industry is increasingly looking to sea urchin farming as a sustainable solution. Rhode Island's shellfish and kelp farmers are among those exploring the potential of farming these "porcupines of the sea" to meet the demand in U.S. and Asian markets, where uni is highly sought after in sushi and high-end seafood cuisine. As wild sea urchin stocks face overfishing and habitat loss pressures, sustainable farming practices are essential to protect these valuable populations and support a viable industry.

Chapters:
Dr. Coleen Suckling from the University of Rhode Island and Dana Morse of the Maine Sea Grant/University of Maine discuss the latest research and initiatives to advance sea urchin aquaculture in New England–specifically purple and green sea urchin species.. This includes:
✅ The ecological and economic benefits of urchin farming
✅ Cutting-edge research on hatchery production techniques
✅ Opportunities for aquaculture diversification in Rhode Island and Maine

Chapters:
04:52 Introduction
06:46 The Role of Green Sea Urchins in Aquaculture
08:11 Market Potential for Sea Urchin Roe (Uni)
13:40 Green Sea Urchin Fishery and Management

15:16 Decline of Sea Urchin Stocks
16:50 Emerging Aquaculture Sector
19:56 Hatchery Processes: Inducing Reproduction
24:41 Larval Development and Tank Management
27:22 Sea Urchin Feeding Strategies in Hatcheries
29:06 Advances in Biofilm and Macroalgae Diets
35:21 Seed to Farm: Gear Recommendations
37:31 Scalability and Feeding
41:53 Key Aquaculture Challenges
42:59 Increasing Awareness
47:57 Resources
49:02 Integrating Sea Urchins into Polyculture Systems
54:26 Biofouling Experiment
01:02:58 Modeling Tools
01:05:41 Purple Sea Urchin Aquaculture Potential
01:09:40 Integrating Purple Urchins & Eastern Oysters
01:14:23 Building Partnerships in Rhode Island
01:16:25 Resources
1:17:12 Q&A