seaweed

                              Seaweed

Unlike land plants, seaweeds have no branches and leaves, but instead they have fronds. Some fronds have a ridge running down the centre called a mid-rib and some have air-filled bubbles called bladders.

Green, brown, delicate, bold and sometimes smelly – seaweeds remain often unnoticed or are even disregarded as useless. They are, however, an essential ingredient in sushi, miso soup, jellies, sweets or squirty cream and Jersey has a long tradition in gathering seaweeds. Here are some examples of seaweed in jersey

Bladder wrack
Latin: Fucus vesiculosus
Location: Middle shore

Uses: Finely cut up and used in vegetables e.g. beans when cooked/simmered over a long time. The pods at the end of the fronds contain a jelly like substance which can be used like an Aloe-Vera style hand cream. here have been reports of this jelly like substance rubbed onto arthritic 

Gut weed

Latin: Ulva intestinalis

Location: All around the coast

Uses: Deep fry, dry and make green Nori flakes and use to sprinkle over salads, pizza, noodles or incorporate into bread or fishy sauce, on top of fish dishes and in salads.

kelp

Latin: laminariales                                                                                                                                      
Location: under the sea
Uses: Through the 19th century, the word "kelp" was closely associated with seaweeds that could be burned to obtain soda ash

Oar weed

Latin: Laminaria digitata

Location: Extreme lower shore

Uses: stock, flavour enhancer, seaweed crisps. Wrap fish in kelp before placing on a BBQ 

Many different animals eat seaweed including fish, seals, humans, sea turtles, crabs, lobsters and other sea animals.