Optimizing the use of quicklime (CaO) for sea urchin management — A lab and field study

Abstract

Mass blooms of sea urchins sometimes cause kelp forest collapses that can last for decades. Quicklime has historically been used to reverse those conditions, but the efficacy of liming has varied along latitudinal and temperature gradients for reasons that are not fully understood.

To evaluate the feasibility and ecological impacts of liming in a high latitude area in Northern Norway (70°N), we conducted a field pilot study in 2008–2011, a follow-up lab study in 2017, and a further field study in 2018–2019, with the latter evaluating and implementing the previous results in a site high in refuges. It was found that liming can reduce sea urchin densities sufficiently for macroalgal revegetation to occur, and that the mobile fauna species richness and abundance increased in the re-vegetated in comparison to the barren control fields. Also, the remaining sea urchins in the treated fields increased their roe content to commercial levels after 2 years.