Kelp is a type of brown algae that consists of a blade, stipe, and holdfast. Other larger species also have a gas bladders called pneumatocysts. It uses photosynthesis to produce sugar and oxygen. The lifespan can range for a year or longer with height usually getting up to 98ft tall and about 2ft of growth a day! Kelp likes to grow in groups and is seen near rocky shorelines in upwelling zones where the nutrients are high and ocean temperatures are cool.
Kelp forests are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, removing carbon dioxide from the water through rapid photosynthesis. Kelp is highly efficient, fast growing, and productive. They up to 50 times faster than land-based forests at capturing CO2.
What’s Carbon Sequestration?
This is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. This carbon in the atmosphere can be captured and stored through nature and human engineered processes. The carbon captured by the ocean and it’s ecosystems is usually referred to as blue carbon. This type of carbon sequestration has been crucial in helping offset human carbon emissions. It’s been found that carbon captured by kelp has captured and sequestered carbon at a faster rate than land forests.
When kelp dies, the most of the carbon dioxide it has absorbed is locked up and it falls to the ocean floor. The fast growth rate of kelp compared to land forests gives it a greater advantage to sequester carbon at a much faster rate.
“According to a BBC report, globally, seaweeds (including kelp) are thought to sequester nearly 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – as much as New York State’s annual emissions. Moreover, the article suggests that 48 million square kilometres of the world’s oceans are suitable for seaweed cultivation.” (Earth.org, Jansen, 2023)
(Shutterstock/Ethan Daniels)
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