With growing global demand for sustainable solutions, India is becoming a major player in the rapidly expanding seaweed industry. Its coastline stretches over 7,500 kilometers and is home to more than 800 native seaweed species. Under the slogan “Seaweed Mission” and backed by investments totaling $86.8 million, India aims to produce 11 million tons of seaweed by the end of 2025, unlocking new opportunities in agriculture, the food industry, and cosmetics.
Rising sea levels will lead to the flooding of large areas in the current and next centuries. A Dutch environmental scientist proposes cultivating seagrasses and baking bread from their seeds. According to AZERTAC citing the journal Ambio, given the global advance of the world’s oceans, the idea doesn’t seem entirely absurd. Environmental scientist Marieke van Katwijk believes that people could use these future marine landscapes to grow edible aquatic plants. Considering that seaweeds are the ancestors of all plant life on Earth, combining (through partial bio-selection) their rapid growth ability—thanks to efficient sunlight absorption and chlorophyll synthesis—with fruit crops, along with the deeper penetration of light spectra through seawater (over 7 meters), could permanently solve the world’s food security problem.
The advance of the world’s oceans can be partially slowed or delayed, but in many coastal areas, seawater will sooner or later take its place in the landscape. The scientist suggests that people could use these future flooded areas to cultivate aquatic plant-based alternatives to grain products.
For centuries, the people of Mexico have used sea rocket seeds to bake bread. In some countries, the natural production of sea grass seeds has already reached volumes comparable to rice production. The Netherlands is ideally suited to take seaweed cultivation seriously. “Here, centuries of experience in coastal engineering and horticulture—two technologies essential for creating such grain fields in flooded coastal landscapes—should prove invaluable,” M. van Katwijk asserts.
The abundance and diversity of seaweeds have sharply declined worldwide, and in the Netherlands, they have nearly disappeared. According to the scientist, restoration efforts for aquatic flora are urgently needed.
According to the ecologist, sea rocket seeds are ideal for baking bread. The bread is tasty, nutritious, and somewhat resembles rye bread. A major advantage of cultivating seaweeds is that it requires no artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or freshwater for irrigation. Seaweeds also store carbon in the seabed and help purify the water. Much like coral reefs, sea rocket plantations will create a rich habitat for other beneficial organisms—such as juvenile fish and invertebrates. Moreover, parts of the aquatic plants can be harvested at the end of the growing season and used as industrial raw materials, for example, in the production of insulation materials.
