What’s it all about? ALGAE!


Kelp is the generic name for Large Brown Algae, that grows into vast underwater fields, so vital to a huge variety of marine life.


In the second of his articles on seaweed, Steve Nicholls of Sea- Chem looks at modern methods of harvesting and how best to ensure that the native habitat is not destroyed


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n our first article, The Wracks Progress, we looked at the historical uses of seaweed and, following the lead from the Rio Earth Summit, how many alternative uses have been, and


still are being found. In this article we shall be looking at the growth, harvesting and sustainability of the seaweeds used in our ecologically superior products.


Marine plants have been utilised by man for hundreds of years, collected traditionally for food, medicines and fertilisers. Seaweeds now play a wide and varied role in modern life as they are increasingly being exploited as a food resource and a source of industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals. Seaweeds provide the foundation for aquatic food webs and habitat for marine flora and fauna. Seaweeds are particularly important


ecologically: they dominate the rocky intertidal area in most oceans, and in temperate and polar regions cover rock surfaces in the shallow subtidal. Although only penetrating to 8-40 metres in most oceans, some are found to depths of 250 metres in particularly clear waters such as the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and Brazil. The Giant Kelp is one of the largest plants in the world which, in western North America, forms an important association with the newly rescued Sea Otter. Kelp beds, or forests, play an important role in coastal zone management and act as a barrier against coastal erosion, providing a nursery and shelter function for many species of flora and fauna. The age and density of the kelp forest may be an influential factor for these species Management on an ecological basis is, therefore, essential to ensure that a


balance is achieved between the importance of seaweeds in marine ecosystems and their exploitation by humans. To do this, we need to fully understand the life cycle of the various seaweeds and their relationship with all forms of marine life. Seaweeds are far more complex


organisms than generally realised. Many have specialised tissues and growth forms. They may have very complicated sex, with many of them producing sex pheremones (chemicals that attract sperm), and with many different types of sex organs. Red algae have the most complicated sex known in plants. Kelps are known to have quite rapid translocation There is even growing evidence of root-like structures in some wracks that reach deep into rocks. Generally, seaweeds and many algae have holdfasts: basal structures that do


“They may have very complicated sex, with many of them producing sex pheremones and with many different types of sex organs”


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