PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 15, 2021
A team of Maine and New England researchers is working on a project to develop the best ocean “scuzz” for hungry sea urchins, and to rebuild Maine’s stock of the once-prolific spiny sea critters. Though sea urchins may seem an unlikely focus for Maine’s burgeoning aquaculture industry, “uni,” also known as urchin roe or gonads, is considered a delicacy in many Asian and some European markets. Steve Eddy, director of the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, believes urchin could become a valuable economic driver for the Northeast region.