Seaweed Symposium

Common Seaweed Products

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:04:37 +0000

Seaweed farming and cultivation is one of the most common practices in coastal areas in various parts around the world. The seaweed industry is ever-growing because of its wide uses in various industries, as well as due to the very promising advantage being studied in scientific research. The most common use of seaweed is for food. Many people around the globe include seaweeds as part of their meals. There are also other seaweed food products that can be bought from the market. They are also used as additives in delicious dishes. Today, seaweeds are also being used in the field of medicine. Some seaweed species are used for the treatment and dressing of wounds. They are also cited as helpful substances for the cure of various diseases like tuberculosis, arthritis, colds and influenza and others. There are also other products that are derived from seaweeds like fertilizers, skin care products, and others.

Nutrients from Seaweeds

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:04:05 +0000

Seaweeds have high nutritional values which is why they are great additions to your diet in moderate amounts. Like other sea foods, seaweeds are great nutritional sources and many people, especially in Asian countries like Japan make them as an everyday part of their meal. One of the most dominant nutrients that can be found in seaweeds is iodine. This is common in most seaweed types. Other nutritional concentrations depend upon the type and species of seaweed. Other common nutrients found in seaweeds are calcium, vitamins A and B12, protein, and fiber. There are also traces of sodium, magnesium and other minerals.

Seaweed: Main Ingredient for Gelatin

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:03:28 +0000

Gelatin is one of the most widely loved desserts throughout the world. Adults and kids alike love to have this gelatinous sweet on top of their tables; which compliments every kind of meal. What some people do not know is that one of the major ingredients in some gelatin products are seaweeds. The commonly known agar- agar is an ingredient where many gelatin products are derived. This substance come from seaweeds and has been used for many decades. The manufacturers of agar-agar based gelatin boil seaweed and use the remaining dry substance called mucilage into gelatin. This substance contains a high glose content which has a highly powerful gelatinizing capacity; making it an excellent gelatin ingredient.

How Seaweeds Reproduce

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:02:37 +0000

Most seaweeds reproduce through a process called “alteration of generations”. In this process the male and female reproductive cells in the plant joins together to perform sexual reproduction. Adult seaweed plants are diploid; meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes. Diploid plants produce and release spores. These spores are produced through meiosis—a process of cell division. Meiosis cuts the number of chromosomes into half and forms two new cells each with only one set of chromosomes. They are called haploids. The haploid spores settle and grow into becoming gametophytes that produce sperm or eggs. When the sperm and egg join together, this begins another phase of the reproduction cycle.

Some seaweed also reproduces asexually. Through fragmentation and division, a part of the seaweed plant breaks off and directly grows again into a new plant. Seaweeds that sprung from asexual reproduction are referred to as clones. Offspring and parent seaweed plants are genetically identical.

Common Places to Find Seaweeds

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:01:46 +0000

Seaweeds are widely cultivated these days because of their benefits as food and as raw materials in various industries. However, seaweeds have long thrived in the world’s oceans as their main abode. There are two specific factors essential to seaweed survival—the presence of seawater and the presence of enough amount of sunlight to enable photosynthesis. This is why most seaweed types are found in shallow parts of the ocean where sunlight is abundant, than in deep waters where light from the sun is scarce. Seaweeds also require a firm attachment point, allowing them to survive more in rocky shallow waters than in sandy shores. Although there are some seaweed types that extend to deeper ocean parts, their extension is limited with the availability of sunlight.

The Green Algae

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:00:50 +0000

Green algae are named as such because of their green color. This is due to the chlorophyll pigments that are found in them. The light needed to produce chlorophyll can be accessed in the shallow parts of the ocean, and not in the deep waters. This is the reason why green algae are commonly found near the shore or at the shallow edges of the ocean. This type of seaweed is very scarce in temperate regions and is very much abundant in warmer regions like the tropic. Common species of green algae like Ulva or sea lettuce and the Enteromorpha or green sting lettuce are widely used by many people for food. They are very delectable and offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals that are essential to human nutrition.

The Red Algae

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:59:56 +0000

The Red Algae are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae, and is considered to be one of the largest. There are about 5, 000- 6, 000 species of algae in the world composed of multicellular, marine algae, and many notable seaweeds. The Chlorophyl, phycocyanin and phycoertythrin are the substances responsible for the red color that gives the algae its name. Various species of red algae comes in assorted forms including simple and branched filaments, sheets, and fleshy plants. They also have a rubbery and springy quality due mainly to its unique intercellular structure. Many red algae species are now being used in many food products and in scientific research.

The Brown Algae

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:58:18 +0000

The Brown Algae also known as Phaeophyceae is one of the largest groups and fastest growing seaweeds in the world. They grow as much as 50 centimeters per day and the stipes can grow to as much as 6 centimeters in a single day. Throughout the world there are about 1500- 2000 species of brown algae, distributed in various locations around the globe. Brown algae play an important part in the marine ecology by providing food for tiny marine organisms and other marine life. This type of seaweed is prominently known for having chloroplasts surrounded by four membranes. Most species of brown algae contain fucoxanthin pigments that cause the distinctive greenish-brown color that gives them their name.

Seaweed Salad: A Healthy Dish

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:57:30 +0000

Seaweeds are not only wonderful decorations on the edges of the world’s oceans, but they also serve various needs for people. Many individuals and groups cultivate seaweed because of its enormous use as food and raw materials for industrial products. One of the most common dishes that use seaweed is the delicious seaweed salad. Don’t be fooled by its unattractive look, as seaweed salad is very nutritious for everyone to eat. Seaweeds are found to be high in iron and other trace minerals needed by the human body. Like other sea foods, seaweeds are very high in iodine and other minerals like sodium, magnesium and many other vitamins and minerals. If you want to eat healthy, make your own seaweed salad today.

What Separates Seaweed from Common Land Plants?

xxseawee — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:54:26 +0000

Seaweeds are plants that thrive in the shallow edges of the ocean, near the shores. They may not look the same as plants that are commonly found in land, but they are also classified as plants. This is because they make use of the sun’s energy to create their own food. This process is called photosynthesis. Here, the sun’s energy is converted into enzymes that the plant needs. However, seaweeds are different from common land plants because they absorb their needed nutrients from the water around them instead of the ground. Thus, they do not have to grow roots that dig down through the ground. They also have rubbery texture to prevent excessive absorption of water.