Sea Urchin Habitat

Sea urchins are sea creatures often found in the Pacific Coast of the United States. Sea urchins have adapted throughout history to survive in many ocean habitats. They primarily eat seaweed and survive in kelp beds.

  1. History

    • Fossil records date sea urchins back at least 600,000,000 years. They have adapted throughout history. Currently, over 700 species of sea urchins exist.

    Geography

    • Alhough they cannot survive in freshwate,r sea urchins live in all depths and climates of the oceans. In the United States, most sea urchins are found off the coast of California.

    Types

    • Sea urchins make homes in kelp beds and coral reefs. They also live on ocean rocks and in sandy lagoons. Urchin beds house thousands of sea urchins and are at least an acre wide.

    Diet

    • Sea urchins mainly eat seaweed, sea grass and algae. Occasionally, they eat meat, including other sea urchins.

    Predators

    • Like all organisms, sea urchins have natural predators. The biggest threats to sea urchins are fisherman and sea otters. Sea gulls and starfish also prey on them.

    Warning

    • Without natural predators, sea urchins would eat entire kelp beds. Kelp beds house other organisms who would die if the sea urchin population was not controlled.