{"id":41301,"date":"2025-07-05T17:37:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T17:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/41301\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T17:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T17:37:18","slug":"devastating-change-taking-place-at-australias-best-beach-20-million-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/41301\/","title":{"rendered":"Devastating change taking place at Australia’s ‘best beach’: ’20 million of them’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AerialThe iconic Bay of Fires was crowned Australia’s best beach this year, but just metres off shore a shockingly different landscape has emerged. Source: Getty<\/p>\n

It was voted as Australia\u2019s Best Beach<\/a> a few short months ago, but under the surface a dark shift is taking place. An army of invaders is turning the sea bed into a barren wasteland, and experts fear the threat could destroy up to 50 per cent of reefs along the state\u2019s coastline if more isn\u2019t done to stop it.<\/p>\n

In February, a stretch of beaches along the famed Bay of Fires on Tasmania’s east coast was awarded the title of the best beach in the country. But Dr John Keane, a fisheries research fellow at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, says underneath the surface it\u2019s a different story.<\/p>\n

Longspined sea urchins<\/a>, also known as centro from their scientific name centrostephanus rodgersii, have arrived in Tasmania\u2019s oceans in droves. Dr Keane estimates the population has grown to more than 20 million.<\/p>\n

“What makes them so damaging is they’ve got a very broad spectrum of diet,” he said.<\/p>\n

As well as targeting lush kelp forests, they also eat sessile invertebrates like sponges, corals, anemones and sea squirts.<\/p>\n

“They basically eat anything on the reefscape and they leave that barren rock that can extend for kilometres.”<\/p>\n

The urchins have been found all the way down the state’s east coast, reaching as far south as Port Arthur.<\/p>\n

\"DrDr John Keane at Bay of Fires. Australia\u2019s \u201cbest beach\u201d is barren landscape underneath. Across this region 40 per cent of the kelp forest reefs have been lost to the sea urchin, and barrens can extend for kilometres. Source: John KeaneWhat brought the urchins here?<\/p>\n

Several climate factors are working together to draw the urchin larvae further south than ever before.<\/p>\n

Tasmania’s waters are warming at a rate of twice the global average, according to the CSIRO<\/a>. The East Australian Current is extending further south, pushing warmer water towards Tasmania.<\/p>\n

Combined with the general warming of climate change, it’s creating a “double effect”, Dr Keane said.<\/p>\n

This creates an environment suitable for the centro to thrive \u2013 and take over.<\/p>\n

Can we eat our way out of the problem?<\/p>\n

Dr Keane believes harvesting urchins is a viable solution, as the buttery golden roe is considered a delicacy and can sell for more than $500 per kg.<\/p>\n

Up until recently, 500 tonnes of centro were being harvested every year and some sites were seeing a successful decline in numbers alongside the return of kelp.<\/p>\n

While it was a win for the environment, it was also a win for the Tasmanian economy.<\/p>\n

The fledgling industry has created jobs in multiple areas, injected revenue into the state and added a new taste to Tasmania\u2019s already impressive spread of local flavours.<\/p>\n

Recently, the efforts to manage the urchins have slowed down after the closure of one of the state\u2019s major processing facilities.<\/p>\n

\"WorkersUrchin Processing at the now closed True South Seafoods. Source: True South Seafoods.<\/p>\n

Dr Keane said the company was harvesting around 400 tonnes of centro annually \u2013 about 80 per cent of state\u2019s collective total \u2013 which has left a hole in the market.<\/p>\n

While smaller businesses are trying to fill that void, they don’t have the capacity to handle the same volume of urchins.<\/p>\n

“There are plenty of divers wanting to go catch these sea urchins. But there’s not the market and the processing capacity to be able to do that at the moment,” Dr Keane said.<\/p>\n

Because the catches have declined, data is now showing evidence of the urchin population growing.<\/p>\n

“The other option is to go out there and kill them without processing, which can be done and it’s quite effective, but it’s highly expensive,” he added.<\/p>\n

Funding favours the tropics, while temperate reefs decline<\/p>\n

If no control measures were in place, Dr Keane estimates 50 per cent of Tasmania\u2019s reefs would be barren in 10 years.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s hopeful that change is coming, and said the biggest difference can be made through government support.<\/p>\n

“We need funding to support the industry. That’s the solution,” Dr Keane said.<\/p>\n

“Temperate reefs aren’t considered as sexy as tropical reefs, but they really are. The Great Southern Reef gets 1 per cent of the funding that the tropical reefs do.<\/p>\n

\"CommercialA commercial diver harvests urchins in northeast Tasmania. Source: Matt Testoni<\/p>\n

“It just doesn’t have that iconic image of snorkelling on a coral reef. All the tropical fish. Even though temperate reefs have some amazing biodiversity and kelps and sponge gardens and it’s so beautiful, it just doesn’t get the light of day, unfortunately.”<\/p>\n

Tasmanians will head to the polls <\/a>in a matter of weeks for the state election, with Dr Keane reminding residents that change begins with a vote.<\/p>\n

“If we don’t get this fishery up and running, we’re just going to continue to lose more reefs, and then that all negatively impacts other commercial fisheries such as rock lobster and abalone, it’ll impact tourism, and impact biodiversity and the environment more generally.”<\/p>\n

A federal senate inquiry in 2023 identified investment in commercial harvesting as a win-win solution to combat the urchin, but the federal government are yet to make a formal response.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: <\/strong>newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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