#150 Sea Urchins, Kelp Forests and the Shifting Balance Beneath the Waves with Jeremy Day

Jeremy Day began his career by moving from boat to boat, taking on dive work wherever he could, long before he envisioned specialising in sea urchins. Working as a diver skipper eventually led him to James Cook University in Townsville, where he completed his undergraduate degree and assisted researchers on the Great Barrier Reef. Early involvement in Crown of Thorns Starfish control programs prompted a question that would shape his scientific thinking: what distinguishes managing a native species from attempting to eradicate it? That distinction continues to inform his research on sea urchins today.Much of Jeremy’s recent work has focused on understanding what these urchins actually consume. For years, they have been portrayed primarily as kelp-destroying herbivores. By combining gut content analysis with stable isotope techniques using carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, he and his colleagues have examined both short-term and longer-term feeding patterns. Their findings show that Longspined Sea Urchins are true omnivores. They consume brown macroalgae when available, but also feed on invertebrates such as mussels and sponges, along with particulate organic matter drifting through the water column. Even in barrens, where macroalgae is scarce, they continue to feed and reproduce.More Informationhttps://www.instagram.com/urchin_ramsey/https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/https://www.redmap.org.au/https://reeflifesurvey.com/https://www.urgdiveclub.org.au/https://www.sarahdives.com/https://spotashark.com/If you enjoy this podcast, please like and subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.Leave us a comment and share this show with your friends.It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.Contact the ShowWe are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.You can email us at: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.