The remarkable power of Australian kelp
By Isabelle Gerretsen15th April 2021
Algae is a powerhouse for the climate, sending carbon to the seafloor and deacidifying oceans. In Australia, scientists are just beginning to tap its potential.
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More than 45,000 years ago, by the shore of present-day Tasmania, a local person picked up a large piece of thick, dark brown seaweed. Its impervious tissue and resilient flexibility sparked an idea, and they realised that this giant piece of seaweed could solve one of the day s nagging problems. The piece of kelp was fashioned into a small rubbery bag, its edges perforated with a stick to give it structure, and plant fibres twisted around the stick to make a handle. From then on, the kelp was used as a versatile water carrier.