The thick, smooth, porcelain-like, velvety encrusting coralline H. woelkerlingii.
Economic value
Encrusting coralline seaweeds are important in the ecology of marine ecosystems where they serve as food and
shelter for many marine animals. Despite their hard,
calcified nature, they also have a number of economic
uses. They are used in medicine in the preparation of
dental bone implants. Coralline rubble known as maerl
is used in calcium mineral supplements, as soil pH conditioners, in the filtration of acidic drinking water and
even as food additives for livestock. They are also used
as ‘live rock’ in the marine aquarium industry. Coralline
rock has even been used as building stones.
The commercial use of seaweeds in South Africa is but a
small industry using mostly brown (particularly kelp)
and fleshy red seaweeds. The increasing use of local
seaweeds has resulted in a state policy to ensure the
sustainable use of these commercial resources. This
awareness has greatly increased research on local seaweeds and considerably increased our knowledge of
most of the species. It is only with this increased awareness that we’ve been able to bring to you the
knowledge that we have gained regarding this fascinating group of marine organisms. Now that you’ve come
to know the green, brown and red seaweeds in a bit
more detail, we hope that you will see them with a positive view and not just that smelly stuff lying on the
beach.
Further Reading
Maneveldt G.W. 2014. You use seaweeds for that? AgriKultuur/Culture 17(Aug): 34-37. http://
www.joomag.com/magazine/agri-kultuur-augustusaugust-2014/0879370001407230054.
Maneveldt G.W. 2015. Between the tides and a hard
place. Agri-Kultuur/Culture 25(May): 76-78. http://
www.joomag.com/magazine/agri-kultuur-may-mei2015/0281153001432115597?short.
Maneveldt G.W. 2015. Common green seaweeds of the
Cape Peninsula. Agri-Kultuur/Culture 27(July): 48-49.
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/agri-kultuur-julyjulie-2015/0965897001437655565.
Maneveldt G.W. 2015. Common brown seaweeds of
the Cape Peninsula. Agri-Kultuur/Culture 30
(October): 60-63. http://www.joomag.com/
magazine/agri-kultuur-october-oktober2015/0680220001445836697?short
Maneveldt G.W. 2015. Common kelps of the Cape Peninsula. Agri-Kultuur/Culture 31(November): 70-74.
https://www.joomag.com/magazine/agri-kultuurnovember-november-2015/0090737001448432884
Maneveldt G.W. 2015. Common red seaweeds of the
Cape Peninsula. Agri-Kultuur/Culture 32(December):
59-62. http://www.joomag.com/magazine/agrikultuur-december-desember2015/0648944001450765643?short