Historically, in the 1960s and 1970s, sea urchins were a nuisance because they ate kelp, a nutrient that feeds fish and other organisms. People were paid to whack and kill them, making them a food source for other fish. There wasn’t a global market at the time, and in the 1980s, urchin divers went to Japan. But today, with their increased popularity, while urchins can be found anywhere, Santa Barbara sea urchins are the most sought-after because of their size. Santa Barbara has the perfect water temperature, kelp cover (food) and rocky habitat where they live. Santa Barbara sea urchins can be harvested year round but the best months are August to January. Sea urchins spawn around February, reducing the size of the meat inside, but the faster they eat, the faster they recover. California has five species of sea urchins. We primarily eat the red urchin and sometimes the smaller purple urchin. Sea urchins are caught one by one by diving down with a bag and a rake. Stephanie heads out to the Channel Island to dive at least two days per week and sometimes up to nine days in a row. Stephanie will dive 3-5 hours in a day and gather approximately 1,000 sea urchins. Dives are 10-60 feet deep and the fishing happens along the reefs. Unlike the scientific diving she did when she was a student, sea urchin diving is different. “It is harder mentally and physically as you lug against the current.” Sea urchins are broadcast spawners, meaning they take lunar cues, and the females spew their eggs and males spew their sperm. The eggs and sperm fertilize in the water column and are washed to sea. They swim with the current and some settle on the wreath. Sea urchins must be 3-4 years old before they reach the minimum size limit (3 ¾ inches) and they can live to be 200 years old!

Flavor Differentiators

Sea urchins are related to sea stars and sea cucumbers and have radial symmetry (5 of everything). Sea urchins do not have eyes or a brain and cannot feel anything. They are primitive but have a very intricate neurological system. They use their tube feed (pedicellaria) to see, smell, move and breathe. The mouth is underneath and they will eat anything that passes by them, i.e. kelp, which they catch in their spine. Sea urchins taste like what they eat. The fresher they are, the sweeter they are. A lot of sea urchins are sold to a processor/distributor who adds alum and nitrates to preserve the sea urchin. This makes it taste more briny. But Sea Stephanie Fish sells fresh live sea urchins that can be eaten raw as sauces, steamed, grilled in the shell and sautéed. Selling directly to restaurants and consumers, Stephanie is known for the quality of her sea urchins. Stephanie delivers to 20 restaurants from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and can be found at the Dorey Fleet Fish Market in Newport Beach on Saturdays.