News
Restoring coral reefs with sea urchins: a new project
On January 1st, a new four-year project has commenced called RAAK-PRO Diadema II. This project aims to restore sea urchin populations to in turn facilitate coral recovery in Caribbean reefs.
Dr. Alwin Hylkema, Tom Wijers and Dr. Dolfi Debrot are involved in this project and emphasize its importance. Caribbean reefs are currently largely dominanted by algae, which hampers the succesful recruitment of coral larvae. By restoring sea urchin populations, who are efficient herbivores, the hope is that corals get a higher chance to settle and re-establish reefs.
To learn more about this project click this link to the Van Hall-Larenstein page. The predecessor of this project (aptly named Diadema I), won the RAAK prize of 2023. You can read more about that project and the award here (which includes a nice movie).