A leader in ocean science, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is embarking on a study of how new seaweed strains could further enhance the burgeoning seaweed industry and offer solutions to some of the world’s pressing challenges. This research is funded in part by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with support from the Bezos Earth Fund.
When seaweed removes carbon dioxide from seawater, it alters the balance of carbon dioxide between water and air, causing the gas to move from the atmosphere into the ocean.
Humans have eaten seaweed for centuries—pickled, dried, and raw—adding a deep savory flavor known as umami. When farmed, seaweed improves water quality and absorbs excess carbon. Some varieties provide as much protein as meat, eggs, dairy, and soy. As global demand for food increases, here are some of the colorful and nutrient-rich varieties you might find on your plate.
Tons of rotting seaweed on beaches can have widespread economic consequences, deterring tourists and inflicting on local communities the cost of ongoing cleanup and disposal. Also concerning are the related cardiovascular, neurological, and respiratory problems.
In the not-so-distant future, seaweed might provide biofuel to power planes, trucks, cars, and ships. The technology to harness the power of seaweeds is very much in development, and WHOI researchers are at the forefront of this exciting new venture. The idea is to transition the primary source of biofuels from land-based crops to fast-growing kelp—that is, to shift the energy sector from ...
Woods Hole, Mass. () -- A new study published this week in Nature Geoscience has uncovered a dramatic decline in long-standing populations of the seaweed Sargassum in the North Atlantic’s Sargasso Sea and Gulf of Mexico, and this shift could have significant ecological consequences.