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 Diadema Antillarum: an up close look. Note the red body and very long spines.
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 Sea Urchins waiting in a holding tank/cooler. These urchins were measured to determine age. The next morning, they were placed on a deeper coral reef where the urchin population was low. |
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 This coral head is covered with network algae. This algae is overwhelming the reefs of the Caribbean. Diadema Antillarum are voracious herbivores that graze on this algae. |
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 Diadema held by Nadeira. Nadeira is a research student at the University of Miami. She, along with other volunteers, collected and measured the diadema prior to releasing them the next morning. |
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 Collection Night Dive. Bruce Purdy, President of Blackbeard’s Cruises, along with Tom Woods of George Mason University, ride back to the boat after collecting diadema on scuba in the shallows. |
 Relocating Diadema to a deeper reef. These diadema are going down via a soft yet sturdy mesh container held by Bruce Purdy. They will be placed on coral heads. |
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 Markers on the Reef. These floating markers have notes on them to help data collectors in the future. The data noted on each marker includes the number of diadema relocated originally and the date. |
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 Queen Triggers are predators to the spiny sea urchins. It is important to place them in discreet secure spaces so they are not devoured by these fish. |
 Diadema nestled in the coral amid a garden of algae. When these newly placed diadema become active in the evening, they will have a banquet to devour! |
 Lab Raised Diadema are placed in this protective cage on a reef in the Exumas, Bahamas. Lab raised juvenile sea urchins need protection from predators. This cage does the trick. To date, 44 were placed in the cage and all have survived. |
 Divers are placing diadema on the reef while others note location and numbers for future reference.
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