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An engaging and richly illustrated exploration of the natural history of seaweeds and other algaeAs photosynthetic organisms, seaweeds and other algae transfer billions of tons of carbon globally from the atmosphere to the deep ocean each year. Coming in all manner of colors, shapes, and sizes, from bioluminescent single-celled algae to giant kelps, they form the basis of most marine food webs, and are found in almost all environments on the planet. Touted as the biofuel of the future, seaweeds and algae also hold promise for biodegradable packaging, offer a nutritious food source, and exhibit antiviral and antitumor properties.Combining accessible text with stunning images and graphics, this book takes a deep dive to explore the unique characteristics of seaweeds and other algae, outlining their extraordinary evolution as well as their morphology, life histories, ecology, and uses. Offering rare insights into the algal world, The Lives of Seaweeds is essential reading for naturalists and marine life enthusiasts.

Sustainable Pacific Northwest-based seaweed harvester Amanda Swinimer describes the ecology, culinary uses, evidence-based health benefits and climate change-resisting potential of seaweed and shares highlights from her remarkable life beneath the waves. Related to the most ancient living organisms on earth, seaweeds are incredible and unique life forms, sharing qualities with both plants and animals, as well as fungi. They have been prized as a nutrient-dense food source for millennia and contain essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, protein and fibre as well as biologically active compounds not found anywhere else in nature. Seaweeds are also a source for innovations combating climate change due in part to their ability to absorb massive quantities of carbon dioxide. Based in the Pacific Northwest, home to the greatest cold-water seaweed diversity in the world, Amanda Swinimer has made her living from the sustainable harvest of seaweeds for over two decades. In The Science and Spirit of Seaweed, Swinimer reflects on the journey that led to her successful seaweed harvesting business and provides identification information, ecologically sound harvesting techniques, traditional medicinal application and evidence-based health information for more than twenty varieties of seaweeds commonly found from California to Alaska. She also includes notes on culinary and skin-care uses for several types of seaweeds. Complemented by vibrant underwater photography, beautiful illustrations and chef-inspired recipes, this volume richly conveys the benefits and wonder of living in harmony with the ocean. It will be a welcome resource to beachcombers, foragers and anyone fascinated by the marvels of the natural world.

A charming deep dive into the hidden world of seaweed, filled with fascinating facts and beautiful illustrations of the most sensuous family of water plants.Seaweed is so familiar, and yet we know so little about it. Even its names—pepper dulse, sea lettuce, bladderwrack—are mystifying.In this exquisitely illustrated portrait, poet and artist Miek Zwamborn shares discoveries of seaweed's history, culture, and science. We encounter its medicinal and gastronomic properties and long history of human use, from the Neolithic people of the Orkney islands to sushi artisans in modern Japan. We find seaweed troubling Columbus on his voyages across the Atlantic and intriguing Humboldt in the Sargasso Sea. We follow its inspiration for artists from Hokusai to Matisse, its collection by Victorians as pressed specimens in books, its adoption into fashion and dance, and its potential for combating climate change, as a sustainable food source and a means of reducing methane emissions in cattle.And, of course, we learn how to eat seaweed, through a fabulous series of recipes based around these “truffles of the seas.”

A 2017 IACP Award FinalistA beautifully photographed, innovative guide to edible seaweed and sea vegetables with vegan recipes—for your health and the planet's “One of the world's most sustainable and nutritious crops,” according to The New Yorker, “seaweed could be a miracle food.” It's also been called “the new kale” (CNBC) and a “climate warrior” (Atlantic). On the cutting edge of food and sustainability, seaweed and sea vegetables are good both for you and—with the potential to drastically reduce our carbon footprint—for the planet. Now, Ocean Greens is the all-in-one guide to the most kitchen-ready varieties of this remarkable superfood (overflowing with nutrients!)—wakame, kombu, agar, samphire, nori, and many others. Seaweed visionaries Lisette Kreischer (dubbed a “fitfluencer” by Women's Health) and Marcel Schuttelaar share insights on the nutrition, taste, and harvesting of each—as well as 50 irresistible vegan recipes that will have readers exclaiming, “I can't believe it's seaweed!” ·Pumpkin and Seaweed Pancakes ·Polenta Fries with Crunchy Sea Lettuce and Asparagus ·Seaweed Gnocchi with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes ·Chocolate Chip and'Weed Cookies, and more!

In her captivating new book, artist and avid beachcomber Josie Iselin returns to the seashore to reveal the unexpected beauty of seaweed. Produced on a flatbed scanner, Iselin's vibrant portraits of ocean flora reveal the exquisite color and extraordinary forms of more than 200 specimens gathered from tidal pools along the California and Maine coasts. Her engaging text, which accompanies the images, blends personal observation and philosophical musings with scientific fact. Like her previous books, An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed is a poetic and compelling tribute to the natural world and the wonder it evokes.