How do sea cucumbers change seafloor sediments as they feed?

Sea cucumbers play a significant role in maintaining the health of marine environments by acting as deposit feeders. As they move across the seafloor, they ingest large quantities of sediment to extract organic matter for nutrition.123

As this sediment passes through their intestines, the animals process it and subsequently eject the remainder back onto the seafloor. Because sea cucumbers often exist in large populations, this continuous feeding activity allows them to turn over vast amounts of surface sediment. Through this process, they can significantly alter both the physical and chemical composition of the seafloor sediments in their habitat.3