Over the past two weeks the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR) has been relocating Sea Eggs threatened by the marina development in Shoal Bay West. Diadema antillarum, otherwise known as Long-Spined Sea Urchins (or Sea Eggs locally), are very important for the ecological integrity of coral reef communities, but when a virus spreads through the Caribbean during the 1980’s their populations were very badly damaged.

Sea eggs being relocated

Although they are now making a recovery, DFMR is committed to protecting existing healthy populations. For this reason, approximately 350 sea eggs were removed from Shoal Bay West and placed in a specially selected area within the Shoal Bay and Island Harbour Marine Park. The area was chosen during a previous rapid ecological assessment of the Marine Park conducted by DFMR, and selected due to it being suitable habitat for the Sea Egg, but with currently very few present.

Over the coming months the area will be monitored to establish how successful the relocation was, and the effects it has had on the general ecology of the reef. It is hoped that because the Sea Eggs eat algae, their presence will reduce the amount currently growing in the study area and consequently aid new coral growth. If the project is a success any future populations of Sea Eggs threatened by coastal developments will be relocated to other areas lacking them in a similar way.

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