 |
| |
Red Sea's Ecosystem Crumbles Without Urchins | |
| Sumita Pawar |
A deadly epidemic is causing mass mortality of black sea urchins in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Eilat.
 |
The epidemic was so severe, that today no living black sea urchins have remained at the site, only skeletons.
The same has happened at other sites in the Gulf of Eilat.
The source of the pandemic points to a pathogenic ciliate parasite that in the 1980s eradicated the entire sea urchin population in the Caribbean, damaging the coral reef irreversibly.
The current epidemic was first discovered in the Mediterranean but quickly reached the Red Sea, where it is spreading at an unprecedented rate.
Sea urchins in general, and black sea urchins specifically, are considered key species essential for the healthy functioning of coral reefs. Following the studies, an urgent report describing the current situation was submitted to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and emergency steps for saving the coral reef are now being considered.