California's coastal waters are home to a multitude of marine invertebrates (species lacking a bony structure); many of which are important to our state’s sport and commercial fisheries. Sea urchin have been targeted by divers since the 1970s in northern California near Fort Bragg and throughout the southern California Bight centered around Santa Barbara. Red sea urchin are harvested for their gonads, known as “uni”, which are typically available in sushi markets around the world. Purple sea urchin are also harvested for food, but their smaller size makes them less desirable. Visitors can learn more about urchin species identification, biology, habitat, geographic range, fishing methods, and more in the following links.