We’re so thrilled to showcase this gorgeous ceramic sea urchin at Bigelow Laboratory!
Inspired by the sea urchins found along the coastline, this sculpture celebrates the intricate beauty of these ancient and spiny marine invertebrates. Sea urchins inhabit rocky seafloors and kelp forests, where they graze on kelp and other algae. When they’re overpopulated, as they were in the Gulf of Maine in the 1980s, sea urchins can cause significant issues, but when their population is in check, they play a valuable role keeping these marine ecosystems in balance as the “lawn mowers of the reef.”
Lauren Schill is a multimedia artist from Norfolk, Virginia, currently pursuing her studio art degree at Dickinson College. Her work is greatly inspired by her upbringing on the Chesapeake Bay and often portrays the natural world and incorporates found objects. This project was inspired by her twin sister’s internship at Bigelow Laboratory and their shared passion for global ocean health.
