Thursday April 4, 2024
PhysOrg —
Seaweed and kelp are eaten by both humans and domestic animals all over the world. Several species are used in everything from cosmetics and food additives to fertilizers and medicines.
However, seaweed and kelp are also part of vulnerable ecosystems that are at risk of over-exploitation. Researchers and industry want to prevent this from happening by using artificial intelligence.
“If we harvest seaweed without having a management plan in place, we put these vulnerable ecosystems and the biodiversity they are part of at risk,” says Nadav Bar, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Chemical Engineering.
Bar says society shouldn’t make the same mistake with seaweed and kelp as has been done with fish stocks.