{
  "id": 9028373,
  "title": "Centenarian sea cucumbers at risk of overfishing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/centenarian-sea-cucumbers-at-risk-of-overfishing",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T22:40:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-centenarian-sea-cucumbers-overfishing.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Marine scientists have discovered that some sea cucumber populations can live for more than 100 years, challenging previously held beliefs about their lifespan and leading to concerns about overfishing. The study, published in the journal iScience, found that black teatfish sea cucumbers, a highly valued delicacy in some cultures, are much less likely to recover from fishing than previously assumed. The researchers used genetic mark-recapture techniques to compare DNA samples from sea cucumbers collected in a no-take zone of the Great Barrier Reef in 2000 with samples taken 24 years later. They found that 60% of the animals sampled in 2000 were identified as the same individuals, indicating extreme longevity and very low natural death rates. Sea cucumbers play a crucial role in tropical marine ecosystems, recycling nutrients and maintaining coral health. The findings suggest that harvesting these long-lived reef animals may not be sustainable under current fishing pressures and environmental stress. The study's lead author, Dr. Sven Uthicke, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, called for reevaluating current fisheries management approaches to avoid possible extinction and preserve their important ecological functions.",
  "summary": "Marine scientists have been amazed to discover an endangered sea cucumber can live for decades, with some animals living more than 100 years, in a first-of-its-kind genetic mark-recapture study. Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr. Sven Uthicke said the findings suggested black teatfish sea cucumber populations recover much more slowly than…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}