• Skip to main content
  • Français
Press
  • Home
  • Institute
    • Mediterranean species
      Annular seabream
      Axinella sponge
      Black scorpionfish
      Black seabream
      Black sea cucumber
      Black sea urchin
      Blacktailed wrasse
      Blotched picarel
      • About
      • › In brief
      • › Global advocacy
      • › 50+ years of history
      • The Team
      • › Organisation
      • The Aquarium
      • › About the aquarium
      • › Practical information
      • › Mediterranean species
      • › Mediterranean biotopes
      • A site in nature
      • › Les Embiez island
      • The Association
      • › Board of directors
      • › Honorary committee
      • › Become a member
  • Research
    • Research Programmes
      LIFE Pinnarca
      MaCoBios
      Posidonia oceanica seagrass m [...]
      New Innovative Feed for Susta [...]
      Environmental DNA (eDNA)
      Ich.T.O.
      Podestat
      Integrated multi-trophic aqua [...]
      • › Research programmes
      • › Research Center
      • › Scientific Communication
      • › International Cooperation
      • › Take OFF, Take Ocean For Future
  • Outreach
    • Environmental issues
      Climate
      Biodiversity
      Nature-based solutions
      Living resources
      Governance
      The Mediterranean, a model ocean
      • › Popular science
      • › Newsletter
      • › Media Library
      • › Press review
      • › Environmental issues
 › Research programmes › Edible sea urchin

Edible sea urchin

Improving how we manage this resource
Finished projects
Tweet
Share
Share
0 Shares
The edible sea urchin comes in several colours. (©. P. Lelong)
Sea urchins on a rocky bottom. (© P. Lelong)
Diver counting sea urchins. (© P. Lelong)
Juvenile sea urchins bred at the Institute. (© P. Lelong)
Sea urchin covered with algae. (© P. Lelong)
“Mediterranean caviar”. (© P. Lelong)

Context

The purple or edible sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus, is a gastronomic delicacy. Professional fishing of this “Mediterranean caviar” is regulated and is done either by free diving or SCUBA diving depending on the site. Certain professional fisherfolk say that the region’s adult populations are declining and that this is more noticeable in some sectors than in others.

Programme

For several years, the Institute has been running research programmes aimed at better protecting this resource from two angles: managing stocks in nature, and breeding them in captivity with a view to eventually farming them commercially.

One ongoing study under the second Toulon Bay contract (2013-2018) is currently monitoring populations and researching captive breeding. Experimental restocking was also carried out at the start of the program (see the thesis of Dr Sylvain Couvray).

Phase 1

CAPTIVE BREEDING

The Institute’s research centre on Les Embiez has been experimenting with maturing sea urchins, identifying the best way to treat water, developing a protocol for breeding and feeding and a system for protecting the environment from any waste generated. The goal of this series of experiments is to provide technical specifications for setting up a Paracentrotus lividus farm.

Phase 2

IMPROVING HOW WE MANAGE THIS RESOURCE

Maritime professionals asked the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute to study the demographic and genetic status of local populations of Paracentrotus lividus, with a view to managing them better. Field studies to take stock of the resource involve counting individuals at specific sites in the region and monitoring changes over time and geographically. These results will be compared with changes observed in populations in neighbouring regions, particularly the Côte Bleue. The large volume of data collected will be analysed and a report will be published in the final year of the bay contract (2018).

Last updated on : 23 December 2019


Partnerships

Scientific and technical
– Var departmental fisheries and aquaculture committee
– Sud Toulon university –Var / B 2M team, PROTÉE laboratory

Financial
– Conseil départemental du Var
– Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée

Bachet F., Bravo-Monin M., Charbonnel E., Bretton O., Cadville B., Nouard B., Octobre 2017 – Suivi de l’évolution des populations d’oursins comestibles (Paracentrotus lividus) sur la Côte Bleue – Résultats des comptages d’octobre 2017. Rapport Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue et Comité Régional des pêches Maritimes CRPMEM PACA, Fr. : 1-20.

Addis P., Secci M., Manunza A., Corrias S., Niffoi A., Cau A., 2009 – A geostatistical approach for the stock assessment of the edible sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus, in four coastal zones of Southern and West Sardinia (SW Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Fisheries Research 100: 215-221.

Quief C., 2007 – Données préliminaires sur les stocks de Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck) et leur exploitation sur la côte des Albères (Pyrénées Orientales, France). Rapport de Master Université de Perpignan – Réserve marine de Banyuls: 38 pp.

Hereu B., Linares C., Diaz D., Dantart L., Garrbou J., Sala E., Ballesteros E., Harmelin J.-G., Zabala M., 2005 – Indicateurs de biodiversité en milieu marin: les échinodermes. Fluctuations temporelles des peuplements d’Echinodermes à Port-Cros 1982-2003. Université de Barcelone : 29 pp.

Anderson, M.J. 2005. –  PERMANOVA: a FORTRAN computer program for permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Andrew, N.L., Agatsuma, Y., Ballesteros, E., Bazhin, A.H., Creaser, E.P., Barnes, D.K.A., Botsford, L.W., Bradbury, A., Campbell, A., Dixon, J.D., Einarsson, S., Gerring, P.K., Hebert, K., Hunter, M., Hur, S.B., Johnson, C.R., Juinio-Menez, M.A., Kalvass, P., Miller, R.J., Moreno, C.A., Palliero, J.S., Rivas, D., Robinson, S.M.L., Schroeter, S.C., Steneck, R.S., Vadas, R.L., Woodby, D.A., Xiaoqi, Z., 2002 – Statut and management of world sea urchin fisheries. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. 40, 343–425.

Lecchini D., Lenfant P., Planes S., 2002 – Variation in abondance and population dynamics of the sea urchins Paracentrotus lividuson the Catalan Coast (North-Western Mediterranean Sea) in relation to habitat and marine reserve. Vie et Milieu, vol.52, (2-3): 111-118.

Grosjean P., 2001 – Growth model of the reared sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816). Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the degree of Doctor in Agronomic Sciences and Biological Engineering, Université libre de Bruxelles, faculté des sciences, laboratoire de biologie marine: 272 pp.

Yokota Y., 2000 – Fishery and consumption of the sea urchin in Japan. In: The Sea Urchin: From Basic Biology to Aquaculture. Yokota, Matranga & Smolenicka (eds), A.A. Balkema publication, Lisse, pp: 129-138.

There are no documents available
Tweet
Share
Share
0 Shares
Institut océanographique Paul Ricard
Île des Embiez - 83140 Six-Fours-les-Plages
Tél. +33 (0)4 94 34 02 49
  • › Partners
  • › Press
  • › Sitemap
  • › Terms & Conditions
  • › Privacy Policy
  • › Cookies Policy
  • › Credits