A ravenous species of sea urchin is changing ecosystems off California’s coast

Seaweed is crucial to all sorts of life in the ocean. Here in California, it’s disappearing fast. And so are the fish and sea creatures that depend on it. The culprit: a purple sea urchin….known as a “purp” as the marine biology lingo goes.

Credits

Guest:

  • Patrick Krug - marine biologist at California State University, Los Angeles

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir, Caitlin Plummer, Amy Ta