In a significant discovery, researchers have found a vast undersea nursery housing billions of baby sea cucumbers near Sanikiluaq, Nunavut. This discovery is shedding light on the species and holds the potential for future economic opportunities in the Arctic community.
The Sanikiluaq Hunters and Trappers Association, led by Lucassie Arragutainaq, revealed that while the community consumes small sea cucumbers regularly, there is a potential market for the larger adult sea cucumbers in countries like China and Japan. Considering the inclusion of sea cucumbers in a commercial scallop fishery plan, the association sought the expertise of scientists from Memorial University in Newfoundland in 2018 to study the Orange-footed sea cucumber, also known as Cucumaria frondosa.
Annie Mercier, a professor at the university, and her team, assisted by community residents, stumbled upon the nursery the following year, a discovery that was previously unknown to the community. Described as the first-ever nursery of Cucumaria frondosa, the findings were detailed in a 2023 article published in the journal Polar Science.
The baby sea cucumbers, measuring less than two millimeters, are found near the surface, unlike the adult sea cucumbers that reside deep in the ocean. Mercier highlighted the vast size of the nursery, estimating its stretch along the Belcher Islands archipelago coastline, positioning between one to three meters below the ocean surface.
The research team’s findings have opened up new avenues for investigation, offering insights into the growth and behavior of these sea creatures, crucial for species management. The community actively participates in data collection, collaborating with researchers to study and analyze the sea cucumbers.
The Sanikiluaq community aims to leverage this data to support their case for a commercial fishery with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. While considering the addition of sea cucumbers to their existing scallop fishery plans, they acknowledge the importance of sustainable management practices to prevent depletion of resources.
The potential fishery could provide job opportunities for residents, with the possibility of targeting different market segments for adult and young sea cucumbers. The versatility of sea cucumbers as a food source presents a promising avenue for economic development in the region.
