The encrusting brown seaweed Ralfsia verrucosa often occurs in association with the longspined limpet Scutellastra longicosta.
importance as it is used as a
gelling and emulsifying agent
in a number of industries.
This makes brown seaweed
economically important as
their alginate extracts are
used to make water-based
products thicker, creamier,
and more stable over extreme
differences in temperature,
pH and time. Products that
contain alginate extracts include brownie mix, frozen
foods, desserts, relishes, salad
dressing, sauces, gravies and
even beer foam. Alginate also
prevents ice crystals from
forming in ice cream.
Surprisingly though, at present it is only the giant brown
seaweeds known as kelp (to
be covered in the next issue)
that are harvested commercially for alginate extraction.
Perhaps it is because no other
group of brown seaweed occurs in large enough quantities to be commercially viable.
What does that mean?
Endemic: Occurring nowhere else in the
world.
Holdfast: The root-like organ of attachment.
Intertidal: That area between the high and
low tide levels.
Kelp: Giant brown seaweeds that dominate
t