Toward a Marine bioeconomy: evaluating sea urchin aquaculture for sustainable blue growth in a developing nation

The biological richness and vast coastal area of Bangladesh offer significant opportunities for the sustainable utilization of marine resources. Despite global recognition of sea urchins for their ecological importance and high commercial value particularly for their edible gonads and bioactive compounds, this valuable echinoderm resource remains underexplored in Bangladesh. This review critically synthesizes global trends in sea urchin distribution, ecological functions, nutritional and pharmacological properties, and evaluates their potential for sustainable aquaculture in the coastal zones of Bangladesh. Sea urchins act as keystone species in reef ecosystems by regulating algal populations and maintaining ecological balance. They also present lucrative opportunities in global seafood markets, nutraceutical industries, and pharmaceutical development due to their high-value roe and bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective properties. The review assesses global species diversity, hatchery protocols, feeding biology, and reproductive patterns to identify feasible models for Bangladesh. It highlights the ecological suitability of regions such as Saint Martin’s Island for sea urchin mariculture and proposes integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems as a sustainable approach. However, critical challenges including data deficiency, lack of hatchery infrastructure, policy gaps, ecological risks, and climate vulnerability are identified as major barriers. This review underscores the urgent need for baseline ecological research, capacity development, and policy interventions to explore sea urchin aquaculture as a novel mariculture frontier. Harnessing this untapped resource could significantly contribute to food security, livelihood diversification, and blue economic growth in Bangladesh.