HowStuffWorks quotes Steneck in report on sea urchins
Bob Steneck, a University of Maine professor of marine sciences, was cited in the HowStuffWorks article, “Sea urchins are the edible pincushions of the ocean.” “A sea urchin’s body plan is pretty unique,” Steneck said. “One could say it is a hollow limestone sphere (made of numerous hexagonal plates sort of like a geodesic dome) with spines that make it look like a pincushion. They move slowly using numerous small tubular suction devices called ‘tube feet.’” The ‘tube feet’ are strong muscles that protrude from the ends of the spines, which can attach to rocks or coral, allowing the urchins to move over the sea floor, according to the article. While it’s certainly not pleasant, Steneck assures that stepping on a sea urchin is not deadly. Sea urchin fishing began in Japan soon after World War II before spreading to the entire Pacific Rim by the 1970s and within two more decades the practice would spread to the Atlantic region, the article states. “The global peak in sea urchin harvests occurred around 1993 and has declined ever since,” Steneck said. “In many places, it is a poster-child example of overfishing.”