The California fishery for the red sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, has grown steadily since its inception in 1972, and the maximum annual catch has exceeded 11,000 metric tons. Most of the product of the fishery, the roe, is exported to Japan, though a significant amount is also consumed in the United States. This paper describes aspects of red sea urchin life history, distribution, abundance, ecology, and management. A detailed description of the fishery, including harvesting, processing, shipping, and marketing methods, is also given. Figure 1.-The red sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus (left), and the smaller purple sea urchin, S. purpuratus.