NIU biologist dives into coral reef mystery with NSF-funded research Study
- lindathelibrarian
- Jan 4
- 1 min read
-explores cause of sea urchin die-offs in Caribbean
November 19, 2025DEKALB, IL
Now, an NIU researcher is part of a major, multi-institutional effort to understand why it happened and how to stop it from happening again.
When long-spined sea urchins across the Caribbean began dying by the thousands in 2022, marine scientists feared a repeat of an ecological disaster that struck coral reefs four decades earlier.
Researchers are studying the mysterious die-offs of Diadema antillarum, a sea urchin species critical to reef health.
Now, an NIU researcher is part of a major, multi-institutional effort to understand why it happened and how to stop it from happening again.