From the antioxidant effects of blueberries to the cholesterol lowering effects of chia seeds, consumers love so-called superfoods. So could kelp seaweed join the superfood family as a favourite of ...

Technically brown algae (it turns bright green when cooked from the natural chlorophyll), kelp has been consumed for centuries in cold coastal areas all around the world, including in parts of Japan, ...

A new economic modeling tool is helping Maine kelp farmers identify cost-saving strategies with remarkable precision. By analyzing farm design, weather, vessel types, and processing methods, it ...

Farming kelp to sell as food, beauty products, fertilizer additives and other goods is a growing industry in Maine, but also a costly one. One key barrier for new farmers is a lack of cost-analysis ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was co-published with Scientific American and supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. MONTEREY — It’s 1988. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is four years old, and so am I.

There’s a rallying cry at various bays and beaches up and down the West Coast; it’s “Help the kelp!” The towering brown seaweed with the floating bulb on top is in steep decline. That’s alarming ...