Twenty years ago the red sea urchin, a small marine organism found along coastal California, was considered a pest by commercial fishers. Today it sells for anywhere from $1 to $2 per pound. As a result, the fishery has grown to be California's third largest fishery, from an economic standpoint. But demand for sea urchin roe or "uni" in Japanese and domestic markets has created an intense fishery. "The resource is being heavily fished and we are only now beginning to understand the urchin's biology, population dynamics and role in the coastal marine environment," says Chris Dewees, a Cooperative Extension marine fisheries specialist at UC Davis. Concern over the red sea urchin and the industry it supports has prompted the California Sea Grant program, in which Dewees participates, to host an international conference March 19-21 at Bodega Bay. "The goal of the conference is to identify research and management needs in California," says Dewees. "The red sea urchin will be the focus of most conference speakers, but the closely related kelp and abalone resources will also be discussed," he adds.