From the tiniest of bacteria to the massive blue whale, the world's oceans and freshwater support a tremendous variety of life. Often, a beachcomber will find rubbery plants washed up on the shoreline. These exotic-looking plants are seaweed. A dive below the surface of coastal waters in some areas of the world, such as California, reveals a world of towering plants that sway gently in the ocean current. These giants are one form of seaweed called kelp.

Kelp make up only about 10% of all the known seaweed species. The many varieties of seaweed present in the world's fresh- and saltwater provide a habitat and even a food source for creatures. Humans benefit from seaweed as well. For thousands of years in Far East countries like Japan, seaweed has been an important part of the diet, in the form of soup stock, seasoning, and as...