Kelp
Kelp (order Laminariales) is a large brown seaweed that grows in underwater forests in shallow oceans.
It has a similar structure to a plant, with a branching holdfast, a thin stalk, and fronds that spread out like leaves.
Kelp is a vital part of the ocean ecosystem, providing food and shelter for many marine animals, including seals, sea lions, whales, and sea otters. Kelp forests also play a role in recycling nutrients, reducing coastal erosion and they act as a carbon sink, although scientific opinion is divided as to exactly how much carbon they absorb in the long term.
Kelp contains valuable nutrients including vitamins K, A, and C, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium, and pantothenic acid, as well as antioxidants.
Various species of kelp are among the seaweed varieties farmed commercially. Worldwide, an estimated 35 million tonnes of seaweed are harvested in total worldwide. Commercial production is focused on Asia, but there is increasing interest in Europe and North America in developing kelp and other seaweeds as a crop.
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