Big Seaweed Search Week: how to take part and what to look for

Visiting the coast this July? Join in the Big Seaweed Search to help assess the state of the UK’s seaweed — a vital carbon store that can help mitigate the impact of climate change.

The Big Seaweed Search, which runs from 23–31 July 2022, relies on citizen scientists to find and record the 14 most common types of seaweed found around the UK’s shores. To results will allow experts to assess the impact of environmental changes in the ocean, which in turn can help inform conservation decisions.

Seaweed is an essential component of the world’s oceans. It is crucial for marine life – from crabs and bivalves to bigger creatures such as cetaceans and seabirds – offering critical habitats, and providing them with a great source of nutrients and energy.

Kelp in particular has been hailed as a fantastic blue carbon store, soaking up carbon from the water and atmosphere and helping to mitigate the impact of global warming. However, research has found that kelp populations are declining worldwide, limiting the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon.

What is the Big Seaweed Search?

As part of the Big Seaweed Search Week, the Natural History Museum and Marine Conservation Society will be asking people across the UK to head to the coast and spot seaweed.

This vital information helps experts to map the distribution of specific species and collect long-term data that enables them to determine, as a result of seaweeds found, the impact of environmental changes in the ocean.

Further information can be read here and also on the dedicated Big Seaweed Search website here.