This is your gateway to understanding the remarkable world of seaweed. Whether you’re a student uncovering seaweed’s secrets or a teacher crafting inspiring lessons, this page provides engaging resources to spark curiosity and foster learning. Discover how seaweed connects science, sustainability, and creativity.
Did you know that Australia has a rich and diverse history of using seaweeds dating back at least 65,000 years
Seaweed is more than just ocean greenery—it’s a powerhouse for the planet! Discover its many surprising uses, how it supports marine life, and why it’s a game-changer for sustainability.
Check the videos on this page to get in the know, and if you’re curious to learn even more head over to our Why Seaweed Matters page for more fascinating facts.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
Seaweed Education in the Classroom
This fact sheet briefly outlines the three main groups of algae (green, red, and brown algae) and describes how algae differs from plants
Algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are the foundation of almost all marine food chains. The three main groups of algae (green, red, and brown algae).
Though widely considered simple marine plants, seaweeds are actually plant-like organisms called algae. They do not have true stems, leaves, flowers or fruits. Instead of nutrient absorbing roots they anchor themselves to rocks by root-like holdfasts
Dive in with WWF expert, Bailey Moritz, as she shares some of her knowledge on seaweed and seaweed farming and how it supports rural and coastal communities, gender equity, nutrition, and global food security.
Seaweed benefits are numerous but everything is dependent on how it is sourced. In this video, we will share with you 15 amazing health benefits of seaweed you should know.
Easy to grow, versatile, and beneficial to ocean ecosystems, seaweed is a carbon-sequestering super plant. It can even be farmed as an efficient way to produce highly nutritious food for both humans and animals alike.
The oceans are full of microscopic algae, known as Phytoplankton. This phytoplankton is responsible for producing around 50% of the planet’s oxygen! So every second breath we take is thanks to our oceans and the amazing microalgae living within them!
There’s lots of fun things to do using seaweed. If you are doing any activities where you collect seaweed from the wild, please make sure you only pick up seaweed that has been washed-up on the beach!
Ready for a fun treasure hunt around your home? Raid your kitchen cupboards, bathroom cabinet, and dressing table to uncover products that might secretly contain seaweed!
All you need for this activity is a scrapbook and a delicate touch to pick up the seaweed and carefully arrange it on the pages. You can then leave the seaweed to dry as it is or place blotting paper on top and sandwich it between the pages of the book to dry flatter.
Simply collect as many natural objects as you can find around you. You could use seaweed, sand, stones, driftwood, shells, leaves, and flowers. Then arrange them into shapes, pictures or patterns. Take photos of the nature art you create, print them out and use them as artwork, or turn them into cards to give to friends and family.
All you need is some paper or recycled cardboard. Firstly you need to draw or paint simple pictures or marine animals onto the paper or cardboard like fish. Next collect some seaweed and arrange it over the picture to create a seascape or scene.
All you need is a glass jar, pva glue and some seaweed. Simply paint a thin layer of pva glue over the outside of the jar and then arrange the seaweed on top in any shape, pattern or position you like. When you have finished arranging the seaweed simply leave it to dry.
Potatoes are a great environmentally friendly material to use as stamps for printing as you can compost them after use. Cut wavy lines into half of a potato and then dip it into paint to print with. Use the potato prints to make patterns, pictures, cards and even recyclable wrapping paper.
Based on a growing body of scientific literature, bivalves and seaweed are two species groups with the clearest potential to be farmed with few negative environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. These species can also provide important environmental benefits, such as improving water quality and providing wildlife habitat.
Seaweed Insights: Seaaweed Insights provides a comprehensive examination of today’s seaweed production landscape, designed to bring visibility and transparency to this growing sector. Sponsored with the goal of accelerating opportunities and innovations in the seaweed space, the study was produced by Hatch Innovation Services, known for delivering high-quality work and insightful research. Drawing on fieldwork across five countries, the team gathered extensive data points and regional knowledge, including observations of pioneering approaches to species selection and cultivation technologies.
By highlighting trends, challenges, and emerging practices, the Global Seaweed Study aims to inspire new business ideas and foster a more sustainable seaweed ecosystem. It provides detailed insights into the main species under cultivation and points to the potential of developing novel species and methods. The result is a resource that equips entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders with the information they need to drive meaningful innovation in seaweed aquaculture.
AlgaeBase is a global online database that lists and organizes algae from around the world. It provides reliable scientific names, classifications, and distribution information for thousands of algal species. For businesses, this portal is a practical resource: it simplifies species identification, supports compliance with regulations, and helps guide new developments—whether you’re in aquaculture, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or other industries. By offering regularly updated, authoritative information, AlgaeBase provides a straightforward way to explore how algae can be used in sustainable product development and research.
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is a free, easy-to-use online platform that compiles biodiversity information from all over Australia and makes it available to everyone. For a seaweed business, it’s a handy tool to:
* Identify new opportunities: Discover where different seaweed species are found and learn about their environments.
* Plan more effectively: Use up-to-date data on local conditions to choose the best cultivation or harvesting sites.
* Work sustainably: Stay informed about ecological changes and make responsible decisions that benefit both your business and the environment.
By bringing together tons of valuable data, the ALA can help a seaweed venture make well-informed, strategic choices—leading to healthier crops, lower risks, and a brighter, more sustainable future.
In collaboration with partners across tropical geographies, TNC has developed a wealth of resources on restorative seaweed farming, including Better Management Practices guides, training programs, market analyses, and scientific literature. With those materials as its foundation, this course provides an introduction to tropical seaweed farming, including better farm management practices (seeding to post-harvest) and best environmental practices for new and existing seaweed aquaculture operations to support positive outcomes for communities and ecosystems.
Did you know that seaweed could be the key to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems, such as feeding the world’s growing population and reducing pollution? Designed for seventh-grade students, this four-page reading comprehension worksheet features an original nonfiction text along with standards-based comprehension questions. As students learn all about seaweed and its potential benefits, they will also have an opportunity to practice a variety of essential reading skills, including citing text evidence, making inferences, summarizing a text, determining an author’s point of view, and determining the meaning of words and phrases in context.
Creations and curation of educational resources focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Nature is our playground, fun educational activity ideas, from nature play, arts, crafts, and sensory to receipes, science experiments, STEM and wildlife conservation.
In Krazy For Kelp, an environmental science project, students design a sustainable seaweed farm from the ground up. Seaweed farming is a growing industry as climate change threatens our areas for terrestrial agriculture. It also is a highly sustainable method of food production with a minimal carbon footprint.
The How to Teach with Live Materials series includes free downloadable guides with information and expert directions from our in-house live materials lab technicians and biologists. You’ll get a thorough introduction to a wide selection of living specimens and learn how to use them to teach hands-on lessons in your classroom.
KRISTEL ANUSZEWSKI, EDUCATOR ADVOCATE
From combating climate change to boosting nutrition, seaweed holds immense potential to positively impact us environmentally, economically, and socially.
Whether you’re looking to uncover the latest research, explore in-depth industry reports, or find practical tips, this section offers the essential tools and knowledge to help you understand, grow, and promote seaweed.
As an emerging industry, the rules and regulations for seaweed production are different in each state, and will change as the industry grows. This portal is your first stop to understand and access the information available to operate in Australia.
You can also explore tailored information based on state or territory:
The information provided on this portal is for general informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the completeness or reliability of the content. Users are advised to conduct their own research and consult appropriate professionals before making decisions based on this information.
Seaweed Central is supported by funding from the FRDC on behalf of the Australian Government’s Developing Australia’s Seaweed Farming Grant Program.
