/ Urchins Content for ΢²ªÊÓƵ en /climate/news/from-overpopulation-to-hors-doeuvres <p>Wildlife conservation sometimes involves eating fewer animal products. But to save California’s kelp forest, a new dish is being added to the menu: purple sea urchin.&nbsp;</p> <p>A variety of factors, such as a decline of natural predators and warming waters, have led to an overpopulation of purple urchin, with millions of them now carpeting the seafloor. They can eat sponge and even rock, but kelp populations have been particularly decimated.</p> December 08, 2019 - 5:27pm Kelley Chu /climate/news/from-overpopulation-to-hors-doeuvres