Dead Kelp on Shores
While the advantages of living kelp are evident, a puzzling phenomenon is the significant
amount of
kelp that washes up on shores worldwide. This occurrence can be attributed to a variety of
factors,
including storms, extreme weather conditions, environmental pressures, tidal patterns,
seasonal
shifts, and the natural life cycle of kelp.
Though it is abandoned on beaches in abundance, kelp is seldom incorporated into diets
outside of
East Asia. In 2018, The Irish Times published an article titled “Seaweed
is Ireland’s great untapped
resource: Go to the shore and forage for this natural wonder – then get
cooking,”
where the
author
promotes the use of sea vegetables, including kelp. Surprisingly, none of the Irish folks we
spoke
to had any experience with cooking or consuming kelp.