Echinoderms help regulate numbers of small organisms by eating them, and they scavenge decaying material off the seafloor. In large numbers, sea urchins hold the ability to overrun sea grass beds in tropical regions, removing the habitats for the animals that reside there. Sea urchins can accelerate the erosion of rocks along sea lines. Sea urchins also control growth of seaweeds in coral reefs allowing the corals to flourish (www.britannica.com). Sand Dollars and sea urchins provide oxygen at the lowest points of the sea. Starfish prevent algae growth on coral reefs. Se cucumbers provide a habitat for parasites to live around. Echinoderms are very important in the food chain as well, since many animals (such as the sea otter) feed off of them. Also, 90% of the biomass on the ocean floor is composed of sea cucumbers(www.pbs.org)
Echinoderms are mostly eaten in Japan, Peru, and France. They are considered a delicacy in many southeastern Asian counties (about 50,000 tons of sea urchins are captured each year and consumed). Echinoderms can also be used for medicine (primarily in scientific research). Scientists have found that some sea cucumber toxins posses the capability to slow the rate that tumor cells grow, so these are being taken into account when scientist conduct cancer research. Echinoderms are also used in farming as they can help produce lime in areas where limestone is unavailable (lime in soil allows plants to take in nutrients). About 4,000 tons of echinoderms are used each year for farming (www.ck12.org).
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