Urchinode

Thesis project for Master in Design through New Materials. Delivered June 5, 2026.

Made from sea urchin shells and spines, Urchinode is a bio-degradable composite that functions as a temporary scaffold in marine restoration. Sea urchins have overpopulated coastlines globally, decimating kelp forests. In Northern California, 95% of kelp forests have been lost. Harvesting as a mitigation strategy has produced hundreds of tons of urchins that have primarily ended up as compost.

Urchinode transforms what once devastated kelp forests into the foundation for new marine life, with an initial application in oyster reefs. Its calcium carbonate composition attracts marine larvae, and its structure gradually disintegrates as oyster reefs become self-sustaining. The project positions urchins as a central node in a regenerative material system.