Seaweed

Did you know that seaweed are among the organisms that are responsible for 70% of the oxygen that we breathe everyday? Seaweed along with kelp, phytoplankton and other marine algae are responsible for photosynthesis supplying us with oxygen. Simultaneously, they remove the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, hence reducing the climate change effect.

There are about 1,200 species of seaweed identified globally. Seaweed is what people commonly known as a type of algae that lives underwater or in other terms a macroalgae. Similar to those of terrestrial plants, through photosynthesis, seaweeds are one of the many organisms that provide oxygen and food source to the vast underwater communities.

Seaweed are also known as macroalgae. They can come in many different shapes and colors. In general, seaweed can be classified into three categories that are brown algae, green algae and red algae. Seaweed is an important food source in the underwater communities. Organisms such as crab, sea urchins and sea turtles consume seaweed as a source of energy.

Apart from being a source of food for marine organisms, seaweed are also included in many dishes especially Asian dishes. In Malaysia, a seaweed species, Caulerpa lentifera is a popular dish known as Latok. According to the FAO, production and consumption of seaweed has been constantly increasing. Hence, it is important to preserve and conserve our seaweed.