Have any of the seaweeds seen locally ever been harvested in any way? ...

[Tator Chip]

Where can one find out if any research has been done on June grass or seaweed we see on our beaches from time to time? I know certain types of seaweeds are used in all kinds of products from medicine to fertilizer. Can anybody suggest a website or two to get more info? Just wondering if any research has been done in Florida, specifically to this region or on any other seaweed varieties found along the FL coastline. My middle school aged son needs to do some resesarch for his science project.

 

[Smiling JOe]

You can eat them. The little pods on the Sargassum Grass are good when toasted and added to a salad, but they take a while to pick them, and I wouldn't want to eat many which are washed up on the beach because when a dog on the beach wants to pee or poop, they tend to want to do so on clusters of things like Sargassum Grass.

Harvesting the two grasses would be detrimental to our beaches as when they wash up, they act as great sand collectors and beach and dune builders. They also provide nutrients to dunes as they decay. I'm sure they also provide habitats to microscopic animals.