SEAWEED: AN UNSUNG HERO

Seaweed is nan sanction for each marine plants and algae – from microscopic organisms to immense forests.

Found successful oceans, lakes, rivers and different bodies of water, seaweed is broadly classified into 3 types, identified by colour.

Green algae (Chlorophyta) are often agleam greenish and recovered successful sunny, shallow water.

Brown algae (Phaeophyta) are recovered successful deeper waters and see kelp and different ample varieties.

Red algae (Rhodophyta) are recovered successful moreover deeper waters.

Seaweed aquaculture is nan believe of farming seaweed successful controlled environments.

It is gaining attraction for its capacity to support a scope of industries, from nutrition and pharmaceuticals to biofuels and sustainable plastics.

Regenerative aquaculture is an basal portion of this puzzle and focuses connected restoring and regenerating marine ecosystems.

Brown algae. Credit: Kindel Media

AN ECO SUPERPOWER

Seaweed could beryllium a powerful unit successful combating nan ambiance crisis.

Not only does seaweed sorb and shop c dioxide done photosynthesis, it does truthful astatine an highly accelerated complaint because it grows truthful quickly. Seaweed tin turn up to 60 centimetres per day!

This absorption extends to nitrogen, phosphorus and dense metals. This reduces nan harmful effects of nutrient overload successful nan ocean, which tin lead to algal blooms and ecosystem degradation.

Marine ecologist and world Dr Alexandra Campbell is nan co-founder and co-lead of nan Seaweed Research Group astatine nan University of nan Sunshine Coast.

“Seaweed strips nutrients which are often problematically highly concentrated successful municipality areas successful peculiar aliases places that person run-off from cities, for illustration sewage curen plants aliases business waste,” Alexandra says.

“It’s awesome astatine mopping things up retired of nan water.”

Seaweed is besides a vital portion of marine biodiversity.

With galore water dwellers reliant connected seaweed forests for their habitat, its beingness is basal to a thriving marine ecosystem.

SEAWEED’S ROLE BEYOND THE OCEAN

In caller years, 1 of nan astir breathtaking seaweed developments is its imaginable arsenic a biofuel. 

Seaweed tin beryllium converted into a clean, renewable power source, which could thief trim our reliance connected fossil fuels.

With concerns complete nan biology effect of lipid and state industries, biofuels derived from seaweed are a important measurement towards a much sustainable future.

Seaweed tin besides beryllium processed to beryllium utilized arsenic a biodegradable replacement to plastics.

Creating sustainable packaging and materials from seaweed will beryllium a crippled changer.

Seaweed workplace successful Zanzibar. Credit: Public domain

PARDON ME

The agriculture assemblage is besides seeing nan benefits of seaweed.

The largest cultivation greenhouse state emissions travel from cows emitting methane.

The usage of nan seaweed species Asparagopsis successful feeding cows could importantly trim methane emissions – a monolithic advancement successful tackling nan ambiance crisis.

“You tin grind it up and put it into cattle provender successful a mini magnitude and it stops nan archaea successful their gut from producing methane,” says Alexandra.

“There’s tons of group astir nan world, including successful Australia and WA, trying to turn capable to provender cows to person a meaningful effect connected greenhouse state emissions done livestock.”

A BOOMING INDUSTRY

Commercial seaweed is nan largest economical aquacultural harvest successful nan world, increasing into a $16.7 cardinal dollar industry complete nan past fewer decades.

While 98% of nan manufacture exists successful Asia, it’s quickly expanding successful Australia, wherever seaweed aquaculture is still successful its early stages but showing awesome promise.

As nan request for sustainable and eco-friendly products grows, the seaweed manufacture is poised to go a important economical driver, creating jobs, supporting coastal communities and providing a viable income for those progressive successful nan farming and harvesting processes.

DID SOMEONE SAY SUPERFOOD?

Not only is seaweed an biology and economical win, it’s besides a nutritional powerhouse.

Seaweed is packed pinch vitamins, minerals and fibre. It’s rich | successful iodine, calcium and iron, which helps support thyroid usability and bosom wellness and immunodeficiency digestion.

Seaweed has agelong been a staple successful nan diets of coastal communities, peculiarly successful Asia, and nan wellness benefits are peculiarly noted successful those regions.

Seaweed salad. Credit: Public Domain CC0

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

As pinch immoderate emerging industry, seaweed farming faces challenges.

Disease tin frighten farmed and chaotic seaweed, peculiarly because nan types of seaweed utilized successful farming are a prime fewer and “low familial diverseness equals precocious illness risk”, notes Alexandra.

She besides points retired that farming isn’t easy. “Doing thing successful nan water is simply a cardinal times harder than doing that point connected nan land.”

Currently successful Australia, nan costs of producing biodegradable plastics and biofuels from seaweed is higher than nan value constituent to waste them, which is simply a obstruction to their production.

Although seaweed farms don’t require pesticides aliases fertilisers, immoderate farmers whitethorn usage integrative bottles aliases floats for their seaweed crops, and this tin further pollute nan water if not disposed of responsibly.

The c absorbed by seaweed whitethorn not needfully enactment stored and could extremity up successful nan ambiance again.

Where seaweed is eaten by oversea animals that respire, they rhythm that c backmost retired into nan atmosphere, says Alexandra.

And wherever seaweed’s made into biochar aliases sinks to nan water floor, it is sequestered, but different to opportunity that seaweed is nan solution for c sequestration successful nan agelong tally is misleading.

SEEKING KELP

With nan correct investment, investigation and authorities support, seaweed could go a cardinal subordinate successful resolving immoderate of our astir pressing environmental, economical and wellness challenges.

Alexandra says location is overmuch to study astir seaweed.

“There’s astir 10,000 different type of seaweeds, and we cognize thing astir about of them,” she says.

Imagine each nan discoveries to beryllium made and nan imaginable to unlock much solutions for nan planet.