The desert nation of Namibia, located on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, has literally plunged into the so-called “blue economy.” With massive farms of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, the country is on its way to becoming a major exporter of seaweed-derived products. The industry provides jobs and also serves as a carbon sink.
They are extraordinary biodiversity hotspots. They absorb large amounts of CO2 and release oxygen. They fix nitrogen and detoxify the water. They are nurseries for fish and hundreds of marine organisms. But they are disappearing globally and one-third of the Earth’s coastline is affected.
