Sea cucumbers described as "dark maggots" have brought new life to fish farms in Hawaii.
Kauaʻi Sea Farm, the Pacific American Foundation and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) are working to breed three species of sea cucumber in the hope that they will become high-value export products while bringing benefits to the local ecosystem.
Photo of a Namako sea cucumber. These marine animals could revitalize Hawaii's ancient fishponds.Photo of a Namako sea cucumber. These marine animals could revitalize Hawaii's ancient fishponds.Joseph Bennington-Castro/NOAA Fisheries"In 2011, 70% of sea cucumber fisheries worldwide were reportedly overfished, and 58% of these fisheries had issued moratoriums on harvesting," Dave Anderson, production manager at Kaua'i Sea Farm, told Newsweek via email. "Sea cucumber smuggling has [also] become a big problem for areas with endangered populations."
The project is taking place in the Nomilo fishpond on the southwest shore of Kauai, Hawaii. This particular pond, which lies in an extinct volcanic crater, is one of the oldest and most fertile in the entire state.
Hawaii is home to 488 of these so-called loko i'a, ancient aquaculture systems that were developed to support sustainable fish farming hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. However, after the westernization of Hawaii in the early 20th century, many loko i'a fell into disrepair.
Stock image of loko i'a fishpond on Kauai, Hawaii. Many of these fishponds have fallen into disrepair.Stock image of loko i'a fishpond on Kauai, Hawaii. Many of these fishponds have fallen into disrepair.BackyardProduction/GettyNomilo loko i'a had been abandoned since 1992, after Hurricane Iniki blocked its seawater channels and disrupted the flow of nutrients between the pond and the sea.
However, thanks to recent restoration efforts, Nomilo now hosts a healthy community of native species. But it still has a long way to go.
"We're hoping this project could help address some challenges loko i'a face including water quality, viable food sources, and revenue to support restoration and management," said NOAA aquaculture specialist Tori Spence in a statement.
Sea cucumbers are a group of marine animals found throughout the world. Their bodies are like squishy cucumbers with small, tubular feet and they can grow up to six feet in length. They are considered a delicacy across many cultures, particularly in East and Southeast Asia.
Stock image of a large sea cucumber on the sea floor. Sea cucumbers can grow up to six feet long.Stock image of a large sea cucumber on the sea floor. Sea cucumbers can grow up to six feet long.WhitcombeRD/GettyAccording to Kaua'i Sea Farm: "Sea cucumbers are a keystone species for nearshore ecosystems, that are being overfished throughout the world due to high value export markets."
But breeding them has other, non-monetary benefits too. Sea cucumbers serve as underwater cleaning crews, scooping up organic waste and other detritus that has settled on the fishpond floor.
Read more
Sea Cucumbers Can Puke Up Their Guts and Grow New Ones
Huge 'Snakey Crocodile-Face' Sea Monster Discovered in Wyoming
Rescuers Free Baby Humpback Tangled in Discarded Fishing Net
"Excess nutrients that settle on the bottom break down and can cause oxygen depletion from the water," Anderson said. "We won't know for sure about the specific impacts of sea cucumber production on the fishpond ecosystem, but in theory it should certainly improve water quality."
The project is focusing on raising three species of sea cucumber that are native to Hawaii: surf redfish and white teatfish, which are used widely in Chinese food and medicine, and namako, a species popular in Japanese cuisine.
Stock image of sea cucumber soup. Namako sea cucumbers are a delicacy in Japanese cuisine.Stock image of sea cucumber soup. Namako sea cucumbers are a delicacy in Japanese cuisine.bonchan/GettyThe first stage of the project involves growing juveniles in solar-powered hatchery tanks. "We are only producing invertebrate species in our hatchery (clams, sea cucumbers), which do not require as much power as fish species," Anderson said.
Next, the team will conduct trials in different pond environments to explore how the animals fare under different conditions.
In the final stage, Anderson and his team will partner with Hawaii Sea Grant—part of a national network to promote the protection of coastal resources—to run workshops and develop production manuals on how to raise and sustain different species of Hawaiian sea cucumber.
"This project is investing in an opportunity to use restorative aquaculture to produce a potentially high-value export product," said Anderson. "At the same time, it will restore the fishponds and increase the production of fish for the community".
Update 10/03/22, 04:00 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from David Anderson, project manager at Kaua'i Sea Farm.
