For thousands of years, algae, in a variety of forms, have been a part of Asian culture and cuisine. In contemporary times, demand has outgrown the supply of wild seaweed and cultivation became necessary. Seaweed populations also began to appear off the coasts of foreign lands like New Zealand and California. So, with cultivation, growing populations and new possibilities from seaweed research like the ones being conducted on the pigment fucoxanthin, there are opportunities to be had from the oceans of algae.

Algae are among the oldest living forms of life still around and its presence is integral to the health of its marine ecosystem and to world's ecosystem. They are the base of the marine food chain, provide habitats for marine life and they produce more oxygen for the planet than all other plant life. Over 8000 species of algae are known today and they are broken up into red, brown and green varieties. Some of the most well-known and edible algae come from the North Pacific Ocean where water temperatures are mild to cold. Though, the brown algae Undaria pinnatifida, commonly called wakame, has traveled further south to Australia and New Zealand and to the California coastline.

Some wild growing algae are still harvested but it accounts for a tiny portion of the thousands of tons of cultivated harvests. But, don't think that any complicated or high tech equipment is used. Common items used to harvest seaweed include a rope, a raft and a long stick with a scythe-like blade on the end. Sometimes, large water tanks are used to germinate spores if ocean conditions are not ideal. However, for the growing phase the ropes of spores are lowered in to the sea. But, with most of the cultivation taking place in Asia, the old fashioned way is best even if it requires some manual labor.

The cultivation of red and brown seaweed has great economic potential because of the variety of products now made from seaweed. Seaweed is used for food and as food additives. Extracts from some varieties are used in pharmaceuticals and in the cosmetic industry. In agriculture, it is used as a fertilizer and as a food source for live stock. A lot of everyday items contain some kind of seaweed extract- lotion, ice cream, paint. Important studies are exploring brown seaweed as a cancer fighting food, a cholesterol reducer and a fat metabolizer. Specifically, they are looking at the carotenoid pigment found in brown algae called fucoxanthin.

Forests and beds of cultivated seaweed line the Asian coastline. Because a majority of seaweed used and consumed is also in Asia, it is unlikely that the United States will put much money into cultivating large amounts of seaweed. The growing that occurs in the U.S. is for agriculture products. But, as in New Zealand, kelp forests of wild wakame have found their way to the California coast. Because an abundance of wakame is cultivated in Asia for consumption, this wild cultivation can be harvested solely for the fucoxanthin that is being used in a variety of medical studies.

It is slimy, invasive and makes people cringe when they see it littering the beach. But, algae are important, not just to people but to the planet. It gives us food, medicine and oxygen. The health of the planet can be gauged by the health of the algae growing in the ocean. The oceans need it; the planet needs it.