Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ3     Exposure: 1/500s   f4.7/16mm     Date: 23.08.2017

Red sea urchin, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Haida Gwaii, BC

Red sea urchins have been devouring the coastal kelp forests in Haida Gwaii - an important part of the local ecosystem. Throughout the archipelago, what was once a lush underwater ecosystem is now an urchin barren: spiky balls as far as the eye can see. Historically, sea urchins coexisted with the kelp, which provided shelter and sustenance for the urchins and dozens of other creatures, including sea otters, abalone, herring, starfish, rockfish, salmon, and more. Sea lions followed the herring, and orcas followed the salmon. But the fur trade of the 18^th and 19^th centuries decimated wild sea otter populations, and with no otters around to eat them, sea urchin populations exploded.