The 1983-1984 die-off of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum stands out as a catastrophic marine event because of its detrimental effects on Caribbean coral reefs. Without the grazing activities of this key herbivore, turf and macroalgae became the dominant benthic group, inhibiting coral recruitment …

On October 22st, 2021, the first ever recorded Diadema sea urchins in the Caribbean were cultured on Saba. Diadema sea urchins are important grazers and can facilitate corals by reducing their competition with algae. By culturing them, researchers from University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein …

Caribbean coral reefs are in decline and the deployment of artificial reefs, structures on the sea bottom that mimic one or more characteristics of a natural reef, is increasingly often considered to sustain ecosystem services. Independent of their specific purposes, it is essential that artificial reefs …

Diadema sea-urchins play a vital role in maintaining a balanced coral reef ecosystem by grazing away algae and creating bare substrate for coral recruitment. The RAAKPRO Diadema project aims to develop interventions to improve larval recruitment and juvenile survival to increase local Diadema populations. …

Coral reefs have been in decline over the past decades. This has greatly increased the need for restorative measures. The islands of Saba and St. Eustatius, two special Dutch municipalities in the Dutch Caribbean, are not exempt to this decline. The Saba Conservation Foundation and St. Eustatius National …

The coral reefs around the world have been under very big pressure. In some places up to 95% coral coverage is already gone. For this big decrease there are many different causes, ranging from natural disasters to predation and sickness. Even humans have a big influence on the coral reefs. To protect …