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The largest of South African seaweeds, the west coast kelp Ecklonia maxima, can grow to 17m in length, but many species are 5-20cm in maximum length, and much of the seaweed species diversity is composed of very small red seaweeds growing on other seaweeds (epiphytes).
- Where do seaweeds grow?
- Can you pick seaweed from the beach?
- Where does most seaweed come from?
- Where is the kelp forest in South Africa?
- What happens to seaweed on the beach?
- Where does seaweed live?
- Why do people collect seaweed from the beach?
- Is seaweed poisonous to humans?
- Do you need a Licence to collect seaweed?
- Is seaweed farmed?
- Can seaweed grow in freshwater?
- Are seaweeds plants?
Where do seaweeds grow?
"Seaweed" is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. Kelp forest in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park.
Can you pick seaweed from the beach?
Sadly, there is no common law right to pick them (unless they are already detached) but, in practice, taking a kilo home for tea won't get you into trouble. But, first, be sure to ask whoever owns the beach – it could be the local council, the National Trust or an individual. Conservation is easily addressed.
Where does most seaweed come from?
Much of the world's seaweed is produced in large sea-based farms off the coasts of China, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan. This seaweed is largely dried (or sometimes blanched) and used for food, animal feed and industrial applications such as thickeners for making toothpaste.
Where is the kelp forest in South Africa?
Kelp forests thrive off southern Africa where the icy Atlantic Ocean washes over rocky and shallow reefs from Cape Agulhas, at the southern tip of Africa, to central Namibia. The southeasterly winds that buffet the Cape Peninsula in summer cause upwellings of rich nutrients from the cold, dark depths of the ocean.
What happens to seaweed on the beach?
Seaweed floats ashore due to strong easterly winds and dips in the Gulf Stream, creating a dumping effect on our beaches with mounds of seaweed arriving virtually overnight. This seaweed can trap unwanted trash on the beach and degrade conditions for visitors and for marine wildlife.
Where does seaweed live?
"Seaweed" lacks a formal definition, but seaweed generally lives in the ocean and is visible to the naked eye. The term refers to both flowering plants submerged in the ocean, like eelgrass, as well as larger marine algae. Generally it is one of several groups of multicellular algae: red, green and brown.
Why do people collect seaweed from the beach?
There is evidence it helps plants in times of stress, such as drought, disease, insect damage and cold weather. It also acts as a soil conditioner, improving its structure and water-holding capacity. You can eat some of the seaweeds you harvest too as those same valuable nutrients are beneficial to humans.
Is seaweed poisonous to humans?
While seaweeds are classified as macroalgae. There are currently no known poisonous or toxic seaweeds in existence. ... Incredibly there are only 14 reported deaths ever linked to eating seaweed, and the reports state that it's not the seaweed itself but bacteria that had grown upon the seaweed.
Do you need a Licence to collect seaweed?
Currently there is no specific licensing system regulating seaweed harvesting.
Is seaweed farmed?
Seaweeds use the entire water column. This means farmers can grow seaweed using a process known as vertical, or 3D, farming—and reap large harvests from a small area. Most seaweeds grow on longlines suspended around 4–8 feet below the surface throughout the winter.
Can seaweed grow in freshwater?
The term seaweed typically is reserved for aquatic plants that grow quickly or invasively. Freshwater and saltwater seaweed often offer many nutrients to your soil such as nitrogen, but freshwater seaweed has an advantage over its ocean counterpart: it doesn't contain salt.
Are seaweeds plants?
Seaweeds are technically not plants but algae. ... Some seaweeds are microscopic, such as the phytoplankton that live suspended in the water column. Some seaweeds are enormous, such as giant kelp which grows in abundant underwater forests, and towers like underwater Redwoods from their roots at the bottom of the sea.
