kelp

Science

New fossils suggest kelp forests have swayed in the seas for at least 32 million years

2:27pm January 23, 2024

by Ari Daniel

A new study of kelp forests from the coast of Washington state show that kelp forests, which host all manner of marine life, developed tens of millions of years ago.

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Since purple sea urchins have eaten up their food supply, many of them are empty inside.

Saving California's Kelp Forest May Depend On Eating Purple Sea Urchins

1:54pm September 09, 2019

by Erika Mahoney

Purple sea urchins are devouring the kelp forest off California's coast. To help the forest survive, researchers are trying to make these urchins a delicacy on menus at seafood restaurants.

Bren Smith is a seaweed farmer and co-founder of GreenWave, a nonprofit that supports and trains ocean farmers.

Kelp Has Been Touted As The New Kale, But It Has Been Slow To Catch On

10:49am June 03, 2019

by Alan Yu

While the seaweed has a lot of things going for it in terms of nutrition and climate friendliness, the lack of infrastructure to process it and people's tastes have not been quick to adopt it.

At the Portsmouth Brewery in New Hampshire, the kelp beer "Selkie" is sold both on tap and in bottles.

From Ocean To Potion: Kelp Finds A Niche In The Craft Beer Market

5:02pm September 08, 2017

by Andrea Shea

Kelp isn't a new flavor enhancer for brewers. For hundreds of years, coastal farmers in Scotland grew grains in seaweed beds. But briny brews have been slow to catch on in the United States.

Kelp plants grow on a 30-foot-long, white PVC pole suspended in the water. If this is successful, instead of just one row, there would be a whole platform, hundreds of meters across and hundreds of meters deep, full of kelp plants.

Scientists Hope To Farm The Biofuel Of The Future In The Pacific Ocean

6:08pm August 22, 2017

International research labs are using seaweed to make biofuel, but little progress has been made in the U.S. Now scientists in California are developing a prototype to enable vast open-ocean farming.

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Matt Kern harvests wild bull kelp for salsa that he and his partner, Lisa Heifetz, are selling as part of his new business.

National

Alaska's Growing Kelp Industry Helps Drive Sea-To-Table Movement

2:00pm March 30, 2017

by Elizabeth Jenkins

While the state has a bountiful coastline, it doesn't have easy access to kelp seed. But scientists are trying to incubate varieties that can be domestically farmed — good news for business owners.