Seasonal effect in nutritional quality and safety of the wild sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus harvested in the European Atlantic shores

Paracentrotus lividus gonads are gastronomic delicacies widely appreciated in Europe. Two commercially exploited populations of sea urchins were characterized, for the first time, in terms of gonad quality (market-related traits such as colour, texture and nutritional value) and safety (contaminants levels) to define the best season for harvesting this valuable resource. Spawning occurred between spring-summer, yet gonad index peaked only in one...