Millions of years ago, tiny ocean algae ignited life on Earth with oxygen production, creating an environment for life on Earth. Today, at the brink of climate emergency, algae seaweed is among the major solutions to our existential climate crisis. The algae is a powerhouse for the climate, storing carbon on the seafloor and regenerating its local marine environment. WIF is harnessing the power of seaweed algae to help enact urgent climate action, engaging and supporting local, vulnerable communities in the process.

Marine ecosystems, like seaweed, can absorb carbon at an exceptionally high rate. As well as taking carbon out of the air, seaweed also helps rehabilitate its immediate environment by lowering the acidity of the ocean. In doing so, this improves growing conditions for shellfish such as oysters and mussels, improving biodiversity. This is all in addition to being a source of highly nutritional food, medicines, fertilizers, renewable energy and biogas production, and above all, new opportunities for livelihoods in fishing communities. The benefits of seaweed are vast, and it is estimated that 48,000 square km of the world's oceans are suitable for seaweed cultivation, roughly six times the size of Australia. We must act now to produce and develop seaweed so that we can realize its full potential to combat the climate catastrophe before it is too late.