Seaweed or seaweed, algae or kelp - these terms are often used interchangeably (=the same meaning), but that is not correct. Seagrass and seaweed are different creatures. Algae and seaweed are not the same either. What's the difference?
Seaweed and algae: what's the difference?
Talking about the difference between seaweed and algae is a difficult thing, because seaweed is algae. Better said, seaweed is the collective term for certain forms of seaweed that are used and exploited in a variety of ways.
What is seaweed anyway?
The term “seaweed” hides acollection of sea algaethat mostly grows on the seabed. Many of them prefer colder waters and coastal zones.
Seaweed includes both macroalgae (large algae) and microscopic microalgae. An exact list of the individual species is difficult to find. Seaweed does not form a separate family group; rather, the group contains different types of brown algae, red algae and green algae. Algae, on the other hand, are not plants, but a collection of plant-like creatures that are capable of photosynthesis.
How can seaweed be used?
Seaweed can be used, for example, asfertilizeror asfood. It often grows near the coast, so it can be harvested quite easily. Some species also grow in deeper water, but only if it is clear. Seaweed, like algae in general, requires not only water but also a lot of light to grow. Golftang (Sargassum) is a special genus that contains some free-swimming species. Since this seaweed does not grow on the bottom, it can be fished from the surface.
How is seaweed used in cooking?
The type of algae Nori is best known as a component ofSushi. But wakame is also often consumed in Japan, for example as a salad or in a rice dish. Kombu, on the other hand, is a main ingredient in the popular dashi broth. Seaweed has also been on the menu in China and Korea for centuries.
What does seaweed do as fertilizer?
Seaweed contains many minerals that are valuable for plants and are intended to promotegrowthandstrengthen resilience. Seaweed is also said to improve plants' ability to photosynthesize and improve the quality of the soil. However, before you simply spread fresh seaweed as fertilizer in your garden, you should consider that it is at home in s alt water.
Tip
Collect seaweed yourself
You can even collect seaweed yourself. The Internet will tell you how to do this or you can read a relevant book. In general, no type of algae is known to be poisonous, but not all types have to be tasty. Seaweed can be found almost all year round on the sea coasts of all of Europe, be it on the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, on the North or B altic Sea.
