Springtide Seaweed, a seaweed harvester in the U.S. state of Maine, has debuted a new line of farmed sea urchin.
Gouldsboro, Maine-based Springtide Seaweed was the creator of the Maine Seaweed Exchange in October 2017, which helped assist producers in developing seaweed products. Now, the company said it is branching into uni products using farmed urchin, offering a year-round supply of the product.
"The demand for high-quality uni has always outpaced the wild supply, creating pressure on marine ecosystems and frustration for high-end kitchens," Springtide Seaweed COO Trey Angera said. "By cultivating our urchins in a controlled, sustainable environment, we can guarantee rich, vibrant color, firm texture, and the sweet, consistent flavor that world-class chefs demand, all while upholding our commitment to ocean health."
Urchin farming isn’t necessarily a new practice but Springtide Seaweed said it is using new proprietary techniques to mimic the natural diet of wild urchins.
Maine once had a vibrant sea urchin fishery, and in its peak years during the 1990s, the yearly harvest was over 30 million pounds, with a high of 42 million pounds. Since that heyday, which depleted the resource and went largely unmanaged, the state has put in strict guidelines on harvesting, and now urchins are only available at certain times of the year.
As a result of the stricter guidelines, landings of urchins in Maine – which catches the green sea urchin, S. Droebachiensis – were just over 520,000 pounds in 2024.
Springtide Seaweed said its new method provides a year-round harvest with guaranteed quality, which will benefit restaurants looking to stock the product. The company said it also uses a shipping method that allows its urchins to be transported live in a way that prevents them from becoming reproductive during transit, which can affect taste and quality.
“This product line is immediately available for direct orders and through select high-end seafood distributors nationwide, catering to fine-dining restaurants, gourmet markets, and discerning seafood enthusiasts,” the company said.
