Sea urchin

Israeli scientists pioneer way to monitor sea urchins as die-offs threaten coral reefs worldwide

Sea urchins play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of coral reef ecosystems by feeding on algae that compete with corals for sunlight.

|ByPESACH BENSON/TPS
The sea urchin Diadema setosum before (left) and after (right) mortality. The white skeleton is exposed following tissue disintegration and loss of spines.
The sea urchin Diadema setosum before (left) and after (right) mortality. The white skeleton is exposed following tissue disintegration and loss of spines.

Deadly sea urchin epidemic spreads, causes major threat to coral reefs

Tel Aviv University experts warn:  A deadly epidemic among sea urchins in the Red Sea has spread to the Indian Ocean, posing a major threat to coral reefs around the world.

|ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
A rocky shore.

The benefits of a rocky shore

The benefits of rocky seashores, which are abundant in the northern part of Israel, go way beyond a pleasant swim at the beach.

|ByITSIK MAROM
Fish feeding on a dying D. setosum urchin in the Mediterranean Sea

Mass mortality of sea urchins threatens to destroy Eilat coral reef

TAU researchers: a parasite is killing the sea urchins essential to the sustainability of coral reefs

|ByMAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

Study shows sea urchins existed far longer than originally thought

Seabed animals appeared 50 million years earlier than previously thought — a finding that can change the way we understand the evolution of many species.

MAY 1, 2022ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Echinometra.

Could a study of sea urchins help scientists develop new cancer drugs?

The team showed that the sea urchin’s anatomy is not only physically but genetically analogous to humans’ anatomy.

JULY 5, 2019BySONIA EPSTEIN
Sea Urchin