A Tangle of Seaweed

“Well, I am a giant pansy and freak out if seaweed touches my leg in the ocean.” -Sara Paxton, American actress & singer

Raised as a California girl, ultimately a sea-lover, and now spending time whenever possible on the coast of Spain, my interest inevitably gets entangled in the strands and secrets of strewn seaweed.

“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” Loren Eiseley

Seaweed is the superhero of the sea! Vital to our blue planet’s health, it’s a critical component of ocean ecosystems. Besides providing food and shelter for marine life, it produces 70% of the world’s oxygen. Seventy percent! (Rainforests and trees produce 28%) Thank you, seaweed!

Looking lovely in the process, seaweed is one of the biggest carbon sequesters on earth. It grows super fast—way faster than trees—so it can suck up carbon dioxide at a phenomenal speed. Go, seaweed!

Seaweed is technically a macro-algae, not a plant. It lacks roots, stems, flowers and leaves. The three main seaweed categories, red, green, and brown all live in salt water, and there are 9 times more seaweeds in the oceans than there are plants on the land. Impressive, seaweed!

Seaweed is a superfood! Kelp, especially, could be considered marine kale. Rich in minerals, fiber and antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, seaweed can contain more protein than meat and more calcium than milk. It’s been a staple food in East Asian and Pacific cultures for centuries.

When fried, a certain type of seaweed called dulse is said to taste like bacon!🥓 Yum, seaweed!

And apparently, marine animals enjoy playing in it, particularly Sargassum seaweed.

“Dolphins have a blast with this floating seaweed—they’ll balance it on their heads, pass it gracefully from dorsal fin to fluke, and even play games of keep-away with each other. Sometimes, they invite humans into their playful world for a round of Sargassum keep-away.” -Wild Dolphin Project

“Right whales, for all their size, are surprisingly athletic. They roll, they slap their flukes, they lift their heads out of the water in a move known as a spy hop. They find playthings and are particularly fond of swimming repeatedly through clumps of seaweed, which slides over them like a feathered boa.” - Tim Cahill

More than ever we need to remember that this sacred, holy and beloved earth of ours is in peril and in need of our loving attention and pro-active care. More than ever we need to see and cherish its profound beauty, its glorious diversity, its soul-nourishing silence and tranquility, its healing graces, its regenerative powers.

“No one will protect what they don't care about.” -David Attenborough

Seaweed, like so many life forms on our beleaguered planet, is in danger. I hope that by shining a light on its beauty, more of us will care enough to protect it.

A few easy ways to help our Ocean are to pick up litter, conserve water (no need to do laundry so often), stop using single-use water bottles and single-use coffee cups, and to learn about and combat fast fashion. We can all make a difference. We may all be drops in the ocean but together we have impact.

Here are more ways to make small but important changes: https://oceangeneration.org/15-ocean-health-climate-actions/

I hope this info has been kelpful. From one drop in the ocean to another, let’s make waves!

Protect the green, the aquamarine,

The sea grass, sea weed and sardine,

Where sea horses, sponges and shrimps can thrive,

Keep algae and kelp and sargassum alive.

Forever live green where wild things teem!

Amen. Amen. Amen.