Ciencias Marinas

Cover picture: A close-up of the spines of a red urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus), taken at ~20 m depth on Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada. Red urchins are generally known as a nearshore species and are associated with kelp forests or rocky reefs. This is one of the few species that spans its distribution along the entire northeastern Pacific, from Alaska (USA) to Baja California (Mexico), and it is thus considered a marine resource shared by 3 nations that demands international attention for its ecological and economic relevance (Photo: Aaron Galloway).