Sea urchin ‘halos’, a new tool to detect ecosystems at risk

by the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC)
Dec. 16, 2025

A study led by the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) proposes a new and simple method to assess the state of coastal rocky ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: monitoring the grazing “halos”, the circles of rock without vegetation, that sea urchins leave when they feed. Incorporating this indicator would help to anticipate the degradation of ecosystems, prioritize those that are vulnerable and, ultimately, improve the management of shallow marine spaces.

Keep reading (in Catalan): https://www.ceab.csic.es/els-halos-de-les-garotes-una-nova-eina-per-detectar-ecosistemes-en-risc/

Read the Ecology paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70239