Seasonal Variation in the Element Composition of Dried, Powdered Green Sea Urchin ( Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis ) from Northern Norway

Philip James (), Tor Evensen and Alexandra Kinnby
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Philip James: Nofima, Muninbakken 9, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
Tor Evensen: Nofima, Muninbakken 9, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
Alexandra Kinnby: Nofima, Muninbakken 9, 9019 Tromsø, Norway

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: In many countries, such as Norway, there are vast quantities of sea urchins that have formed barrens over large areas of the coastline. Research has shown that removal of sufficient quantities of sea urchins from these barrens can lead to them reverting to a macroalgae forest. Identifying the chemical composition of sea urchins for various uses, such as agricultural fertiliser, would incentivise this sea urchin removal. This study investigates the composition of sea urchins and whether the composition varies when sea urchin collection sites vary both geographically and temporally. Sea urchins were collected from three sites within 10 km of each other in northern Norway at three times through the year. The sea urchins were dried, crushed, powdered, and analysed for nutrient content. An elemental analysis from the sea urchin samples showed high calcium and relatively high magnesium levels; smaller relative quantities of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium were also found. Micronutrients such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) were found. More importantly, both primary, macro-, and micronutrients showed high variability when collected from different sites and at different times of the year. This will be a critical consideration when investigating the use of this product as a plant fertiliser or for any other use.

Keywords: sea urchins; echinoderms; crushed biomass; nutrients; macroalgae regeneration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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