Producer

Traditionally, red urchins have been the primary commercial fishery because they are bigger and easier to shuck. However, OoNee is joining the movement to focus on purple urchins because they are the main species overgrazing the kelp forests.

The process begins with divers who carefully harvest large purple urchins off the coast of Oregon. Divers can collect a few hundred pounds a day, which are transported by boat to the ranch. The urchins are then cleaned, held in live tanks, and nourished in raceways until they’re ready for processing.

The urchins are shucked next door at the Central Coast Food Web, packed in saltwater trays, and delivered to restaurants in Portland and Seattle. Chefs are serving uni in creative ways, from fresh on the half shell to high-end pasta dishes.

Aaron describes how ranching offers consistent texture and taste that isn’t guaranteed with wild harvest. While urchins prefer kelp, they are not picky eaters. “Urchins are the roombas of the sea,” he says. “They are bottom feeders and eat what’s available to them.

Instead of breeding sea urchins, OoNee collects wild, dormant purple urchins from urchin barrens and places them in shoreside aquaculture tanks. After being fed algal-based pellets for 8 to 9 weeks in this controlled environment, the once-empty urchins are full of rich, sushi-grade uni.

This approach is known as ranching and offers multiple benefits:

Restores kelp forests by removing overabundant urchins
Provides a consistently high-quality product for consumers
Supports sustainable seafood markets and economic opportunities along the Oregon coast