HOW TO HARVEST, COOK AND EAT SEA LETTUCE

Ever walked along the coastline and wondered about all of those seaweeds?

Are they edible? How do you harvest them? How do you positively identify them? Are you allowed to collect them?

A great (and yummy) seaweed easy to start with is sea lettuce, that green algae on rock platforms, visible at low tide. But first, to answer the burning question of ethics and legalities.

Seaside legalities and ethics

The specifics of coastal ecology regulations change from state to state. You also need to be aware that legislations change and the boundaries of protected areas shift. The range of permission varies from being completely unregulated outside of marine reserves or national parks, to a clearly defined limit for personal use, to the need for a harvester’s licence. Please consult with your local council with regard to your current regulations. I have written an overview of the legalities, from state to state, in an article here.

As a general rule, never pull seaweeds form their ‘holdfast’. The holdfast is the root-like structure at the base of the seaweed that anchors them to a stable surface, such as rock, or the seabed (seaweeds do not have a root system, as they take up nutrients from sea water through their fronds). Instead, harvest by cutting, leaving behind the holdfast so that the seaweed can regenerate – or better still, collect seaweed when it has washed ashore.

Please note that seaweeds are important not only when they are alive in the water, but also when they are decaying on the beach. They are a vital element in marine ecosystems, existing at the lower level of the food web. Fish, birds, snails, crabs and marine mammals use kelp beds for food, refuge or spawning, or as nursery grounds.?

Finally, please be aware that it is best not to harvest from the beach straight after a storm. Particularly in built environments, storm channels will carry to the shore the debris of the city, polluting the water and everything in it.

Sea lettuce - Ulva lactuca

Sea lettuce is a ‘cosmopolitan’ seaweed – growing all over the world. It is found all around Australia on rock platforms in the intertidal zone, the part of the seashore that is above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide. You will need to look for it at low tide.

In Australia it is much appreciated by fishermen, who use it as bait for blackfish (luderick).?

Always be careful where you harvest your sea lettuce, making sure that the surrounding area is clean, and has a great tidal exchange and fast currents. Always make sure to cut the sea lettuce fronds, leaving the holdfast behind to regenerate.

How to identify sea lettuce

Sea lettuce is a thin, flat, green seaweed growing from a round holdfast, forming expansive mats several metres wide. The frond resembles a leaf of lettuce. You will find big colonies of this seaweed growing closely together in rockpools or on flat rock platforms that are regularly washed by waves.

The margins of sea lettuce fronds are somewhat ruffled and are often torn. Fronds may reach 18 centimetres in length and up to 30 centimetres across, though generally they are much shorter. Translucent, and green to dark green in colour, the fronds turn white or black when dried out or dead.

How to eat sea lettuce

Like lettuce grown on land, sea lettuce can be used raw in salads. It can also be cooked and added to soups. I like to quickly sauté sea lettuce with sesame oil and a dash of lime juice, roll it in rice paper with sliced cucumber and rice noodles, and then serve it with a peanut sauce.

Check the full article here for more info, recipes and more about this amazing and edible seaweed>