Sea Cucumbers
Why Sea Cucumbers?
For over 1,000 years, sea cucumbers have been a sought-after delicacy, medicine, and aphrodisiac in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, and Malaysia. Sea cucumbers are not only one of the most sustainable and cost-effective protein sources to grow, but they also have a positive ecological relationship with surrounding marine ecosystems.
Ecologically Friendly
Unlike all other forms of animal protein production, sea cucumbers require no fresh water nor an ecologically demanding external food source. During the incubation period, sea cucumbers feed on algae, needing only sunlight and nutrients to grow. Once they enter the ocean sites, adult sea cucumbers ingest organic matter from the sand where they live. <read more>
Earthworms Of The Sea
Sea cucumbers consume organic material and detritus found on the seafloor. Cleaning the sand is known to prevent algal blooms, which can affect the health of fish and coral reef populations.
Sea cucumbers are essential in maintaining healthy organic matter balance in seabeds. Subtropical seagrass tends to grow better when sea cucumbers are present, and seagrass has a remarkable capacity to sequester carbon in the seabed. <read more>
Mitigate Climate Change
Ocean Fertilizer
Sea cucumbers produce ammonia as a byproduct of their digestion, which fertilizes the surrounding area, providing nutrition for coral growth.
Building Blocks for Coral Reefs
Sea Cucumbers release calcium carbonate (CaCO3) back into the ecosystem — a critical component of coral reefs. In order to survive, coral reefs must accumulate calcium carbonate at a rate greater than or equal to the calcium carbonate that is eroded from the reef. <read more>
About Sea Cucumbers
There are some 1,700 species of sea cucumbers globally. Only a few species have sensory organs; none have brains, but rather ganglia of nerves for coordinating movement. Over the course of their lives, sea cucumbers typically move in a small area of only 1.5 square meters. They grow from 0 to 350 grams in less than 18 months by consuming organic material in the sand immediately around them.