Figure 2: Seaweed farming for greener Western Indian Ocean marine ecosystem
Seaweeds can detect danger and alert other marine species via signals. For example, diseases in seaweed can affect the color or smell of the seaweed, signaling its presence in the marine ecosystem (59). On the other hand, seaweed has a bigger contribution on oxygen production as it produces 50-80% more than terestrial plants. This is contributed by the fact that photosynthetic processes can take place at all parts of the plants (60-63). Though feeding energy is generated for living, seaweed provides energy as a food for other marine species and also supplies organic nutrients for other marine life (8, 48, 64, 65). On the other hand, seaweed functions as nutrient absorbers in the marine ecosystem, this is important as not all nutrient entering the ocean have a good effect some may kill marine life and damage the marine ecosystem (66, 67). In this case seaweed will absorb and trap excess nutrients and make marine ecosystem safe (68). Although iron is essential for seaweed to undergo photosynthesis and other autotrophic organism, excessive iron ion in oceanic ecosystem may damage marine life (69-71). Therefore, the existence of seaweed in WIO marine ecosystem is important for continuation of life forms.