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Sea urchins are an echinoderm, the same family as starfish. Although they have been found as deep as 400 feet, harvesting depth is 20-120 feet. Divers use a "hookah" air system, consisting of a boat-mounted air compressor with a long hose attached to the diver. Each urchin is hand-picked using a special harvesting tool. "Uni," the Japanese word for the gonads found inside the urchin, is a prized item on the sushi menu. |
"An unforgettable window into a life filled with huge rewards and crippling loss." Christina J. Slager, Curator Monterey Bay Aquarium |