Purple Sea Urchin Culling Feeds Fish In Palos Verdes

Heather Burdick of The Bay Foundation is smashing sea urchins in an urchin barren at Palos Verdes, California. This will allow the kelp forest to regenerate. Notice how happy the local fish are to get a free lunch.

Within about a year, the kelp forest will be fully restored because giant kelp can grow up the 2-ft per day! Then the local fish and lobsters will keep the urchin population in control.

[Divemaster_Dan]

How much damage do you have to do to kill them? Is poking them a couple times with a speartip enough or do you need to really smash them?