Pedro M. Santos

MARE - Polytechnic of Leiria

In the framework of stock enhancement, field experiments were conducted between March and July 2021 in rocky shores of Central Portugal to test the usefulness of refuges and calcein marking for juvenile sea urchins releases. Individuals with 10–20 mm in test diameter were captured in nature and tagged through immersion in a calcein bath with a conc...

In 2017, aquaculture producers of the Albufeira lagoon, Portugal, reported an invasion of tunicates that was disrupting mussel production, particularly the tunicate Styela plicata (Lesueur, 1823). A totally effective eradication method still does not exist, particularly for S. plicata, and the effects of the eradication treatments on bivalves’ perf...

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) is an important economic resource in Europe, but intense harvesting has led to the collapse of several natural populations. Echinoculture, associated with restocking and stock enhancement practices, is an alternative to this problem. In these procedures, reliable indiv...

The nutritional characteristics of microalgae affect the growth, survival and fatty acid composition of sea urchin larvae. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of nutritive characteristics of single microalgal diets in Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) larval development, growth, and condition. Larvae of P. lividus were fed with three mon...

Salinity plays a major role in several physiological processes in sea urchins, including reproduction and growth, ultimately affecting survival. Optimal salinity ranges vary considerably between species, as a consequence of ecological adaptations. However, related research in the context of aquaculture is quite scarce, particularly for the stenohal...

The market value of sea urchin roe (female and male gonads) depends on several quality criteria, such as size, color, texture, and flavor. Sea urchins given dry pellet feed often produce large gonads, but the preferred bright orange color has been difficult to achieve without the inclusion of supplementary dietary carotenoids. Gonad color depends o...

Introduction The high mortality rates occurring during larval development, together with the high running costs of larval rearing systems and juvenile production, remain the major bottlenecks to the full cycle production of sea urchin (Carboni et al., 2012). For this reason, it is necessary to improve experimental protocols for larval production....

The development of rearing protocols promoting the larval development, pre and post-metamorphosis are key for echinoculture. Mixed diets combining diatom with other microalgae have been used with success and Rhodomonas sp. (Rho)-based diets showed promising results in larval survival. This study was aimed to evaluate the rearing success of Paracent...

Sea urchins’ gonads are a delicacy highly appreciated worldwide. In Europe, Paracentrotus lividus is one of the most valuable edible sea urchin species and a desired target for aquaculture. One of the challenges of echinoculture is to increase the sea urchins’ growth rate during the on-growing phase and reducing the production cycle required to obt...

Sea urchin roe is a gastronomic delicacy appreciated worldwide and Portugal is the third largest consumer nation of seafood. However, sea urchin roe is recognized as a seafood by few members of the national coastal communities. Motivated by an increasing interest of gastronomic and aquaculture sectors in producing this seafood, a survey was conduct...

The common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is the most consumed echinoid in Europe. It is considered a seafood delicacy, given its high-valued gonads. In sea urchins, temperature probably represents the most important abiotic factor affecting several physiological processes and it is essential to better establish optimal reference...

Gonads of Paracentrotus lividus are considered a delicacy and the increasing market demand depleted several wild stocks. In this context, sustainable echinoculture can play an important role for supplying commercially gonads and also for local restocking. Nevertheless, the success of this activity largely depends on the development of valuable hatc...

Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck 1816) has high-value reddish orange gonads that are regarded as a delicacy. In this study, three jellified diets have been tested for 90 days to assess the effect of different diets on P. lividus somatic and gonadal growth, gonad color, and reproductive state. All diets contained agar as a gelling agent and consisted...

Sea urchin roe is becoming an extremely appreciated delicacy in occidental gastronomy. Besides that, it also has a high nutritional value, being rich in of protein, lipids, fatty acids (mainly ω3-PUFA), carotenoids, vitamins and minerals. The high commercial value and the continuously growing market demand are starting to cause the decline of sea u...

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), mainly distributed in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas and in the North-Eastern Atlantic coast, represents an important economic resource. Its reddish-orange gonads, also designated as roe, are long considered a luxury food item, with a high nutritional content, particularly in carotenoids. G...

Controlling the planktonic larval development represents one of the key bottlenecks for commercial echinoculture. Particularly, the transition from planktonic larvae to benthic juveniles, the metamorphoses, the settlement rates and survival are the most critical stages for full cycle production. For this reason, significant improvements are needed...

Introduction The increasing demand for sea urchin roe and consequent rising prices have resulted in a worldwide escalation of sea urchin fisheries, which are causing a depletion of the wild stocks. Therefore, a change is needed to preserve this resource, which may be achieved through the development of sustainable echinoculture. Moreover, this act...

The natural diminishing stocks of capture fisheries provide an ongoing incentive to diversify and produce new marine species. The diversification in aquaculture is a key to ensure the economic sustainability of the sector. New endogenous species, particularly in a lower levels of the trophic chain, such echinoderms, can contribute to reduce the env...

In this study, the effects of three diets were investigated to enhance Paracentrotus lividus production for commercial purposes. P. lividus were fed ad libitum for 80 days with: diet A—fresh Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797; diet B—formulated using a jellified mix of macroalgae and vegetables, including C. tomentosum (20%), Coralina sp. Linnaeus,...

Holothuria tubulosa (Gmelin, 1788) is a marine invertebrate, belonging to the group Echinodermata. This species presents separated sexes without sexual dimorphism. H. tubulosa has been seen as a new candidate for aquaculture, as this species is resistant to handling and adapts easily to captivity conditions. The increasing demand for sea cucumber s...

The effects of three different microalgae diets were assessed on the survival and growth of the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus larvae. Diet A was composed equally by Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Isochrysis galbana, while Diet B consisted on P. tricornutum and Tetraselmis chuii, and Diet C was a mixture of P. tricornutum, I. galbana and T....

An efficient hatchery production of the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is recognized as an alternative solution for the depletion of wild stocks, although larval survival and settlement rates remain a critical commercial bottleneck for echinoculture. Echinopluteus swimming larvae are able to select feed before ingestion. Th...

Sea urchins play a key role on the marine biological communities. Changes in their populations can lead to major alterations in structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is an abundant species throughout the coast of Portugal. It is widely distributed along the eastern Atlantic coasts, fro...

Holothuria tubulosa (Gmelin, 1788) is a marine invertebrate, belonging to the group Echinodermata, usually known as sea cucumber. Its geographical distribution extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and it is frequently associated to sandy and rocky areas, as well as sea meadows. Generally, they occur at depths less than 100 m. Th...

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea and in the NorthEastern Atlantic coasts, including the entire coast of Portugal. The high-value reddish-orange gonads are regarded as a delicacy, having France, Spain, Italy and Greece as its main markets. Intense harvesting has result...

The present study aims to establish the rearing conditions for the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Several other studies were developed with P. lividus and other sea urchins that might have high potential for aquaculture and commercial fisheries. This aquaculture research project will last 36 months and is part of a multidisciplinary proje...

Introduction The edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is an important marine resource in Europe. During the past years, this species has been the target of several studies, with the intent to produce and rear it in aquaculture. Accordingly, an essay was performed to assess the effect of temperature and salinity in the early dev...