Sugar Kelp
Sugar Kelp
Saccharina latissima
Quick Facts
Fisherman pulling up sugar kelp. Credit: GreenWave/Ron Gautreau
Fisherman pulling up sugar kelp. Credit: GreenWave/Ron Gautreau
About the Species
Sugar kelp is a yellowish brown marine algae widely cultivated and eaten in Asia and growing in popularity in the United States as a nutritious food high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Sugar kelp has long been known as a sweetener and as having thickening and gelling qualities that can be added to food and cosmetics. Sugar kelp is being grown and harvested by more commercial farms for a variety of uses, from food to potential biofuels.
Appearance
- Sugar kelp are yellowish or dark-brown and green in color.
- They resemble large lasagna noodles and have a long narrow, undivided blade with a short thin stem.
- The central band of the blade is dimpled while the margins are smoother with a wavy edge. The crinkled blade gives the sugar kelp its other common names.
Biology
- Sugar kelp reach maturity between 3 and 4 years of age.
- Their blade can grow up to 5 meters (16 feet) long and 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) wide.
- Sugar kelp can live for 2 to 4 years and grow quickly in colder months.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Protista | Phylum | Ochrophyta | Class | Phaeophyceae | Order | Laminariales | Family | Laminariaceae | Genus | Saccharina | Species | latissima |
|---|
Featured News
Suzie Flores harvesting sugar kelp in Stonington, Connecticut (Credit: Elizabeth Ellenwood).
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Oysters being farmed by Alaska Shellfish Farms in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Seafood Facts
Is Sugar Kelp Sustainable?
U.S. farmed sugar kelp is a smart seafood choice because it is grown and harvested under U.S. state and federal regulations.
Availability
Fresh product when harvested is available February to May, while dried kelp is available year round.
Source
Commercially farmed in cold water regions along the East and West Coast of the United States and Alaska.
Taste
Sugar kelp has a savory and slightly sweet flavor. When dried, a white, sweet-tasting powder forms on the blade.
Texture
Crunchy texture
Health Benefits
High in fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 43; Protein: 1.68 g; Total Fat: 0.56 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0 g; Carbohydrate: 9.57 g; Total Sugars: 0.60 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g; Cholesterol: 0 g; Sodium: 233 mgKelp Recipes
Looking for some ways to add kelp into your rotation? If you need some cooking inspiration, browse these recipes for sugar kelp miso soup, sugar kelp cookies, and more!
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Aquaculture
U.S. farmed sugar kelp is a smart seafood choice because it is grown and harvested under U.S. state and federal regulations.
Environmental Impact
Sugar kelp provides net environmental benefits by removing excess nutrients and carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen to mitigate against ocean acidification.
Feeds
Growing sugar kelp requires no feed—sugar kelp produce their own food through photosynthesis, using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Farming Methods
Sugar kelp lines are seeded in a land-based nursery and then placed in tanks or marine waters for grow-out.
Human Health
Sugar kelp is high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, calcium, iodine, and magnesium.
Management
- Permitting for sugar kelp aquaculture is governed by federal, state, and local governments.
- The federal agencies involved are NOAA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
- All fisheries and aquaculture farms in federal waters must adhere to federal regulations including those in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Farming Methods
- Seed production:
- Wild sugar kelp is harvested to extract spores for culture.
- Spores are settled onto nylon twine wrapped around a PVC pipe (or spools).
- Once spores have settled after 24 to 36 hours, the spools are placed in indoor tanks under controlled conditions.
- After 4 to 6 weeks, the juvenile kelp plants are transferred to the grow-out site.
- Grow-out:
- The seed string with juvenile plants attached is deployed in tanks or on long lines (a heavier culture rope suspended between buoys) in marine waters.
- Sugar kelp is harvested when it reaches the appropriate size for its intended purpose.
Production
- Seaweed farming is just now establishing in the U.S. and shows promise to become an important contributor to future U.S. marine aquaculture production
Environmental Considerations
- Habitat:
- Sugar kelp farming has a benign ecological footprint, with little disturbance of sediments or aquatic vegetation during grow-out. It may cause some shading of the seafloor environment depending on the depth in which it is grown.
- Seeding is a quick process accomplished from small skiffs and harvesting is also quick and efficient consisting of bringing a long line onto the boat and removing the kelp with a small knife; both of these operations are low impact on the environment.
- Feeds:
- Once transferred to the ocean site, sugar kelp does not need to be fed due to photosynthesis.
Ecosystem Services
- Water quality improvements:
- Sugar kelp consume excess nutrients and carbon dioxide from the water column and give off oxygen as they grow, improving water quality of the surrounding environment.
- When sugar kelp is harvested, excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as carbon dioxide are removed from the ecosystem.
- Providing habitat:
- Sugar kelp provides structure and shade for many marine organisms and serves as habitat for juvenile fish and small invertebrates.
- Sugar kelp beds also disperse wave energy to protect shorelines from erosion.
Human Health
- Sugar kelp toxins:
- Sugar kelp can assimilate toxins like heavy metals such as mercury present in the water where they are grown, but levels are extremely low making it safe at quantities typically consumed.
- Early warning systems exist to detect harmful algal blooms that produce toxins.
- New technologies, such as the Environmental Sample Processor, provide near real-time detection of harmful algal species.
- For more information on the prevention and monitoring of harmful algal blooms, read about NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom forecasting program.
- Pathogenic bacteria:
- Bacteria like Vibrio and salmonella can be found in contaminated water where farmed sugar kelp may grow.
- Ingestion of sugar kelp contaminated with salmonella or other bacteria can lead to gastrointestinal illness.
- Sugar kelp is required to be tested for toxins and bacteria and public health officials monitor farmed sugar kelp to ensure it is safe to eat.