Seaweed seen as resilient food source after a nuclear war

A new study about the potential of seaweed as a resilient food source was published in the scientific journal “Earth’s Future” by a team of researchers from the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED), Louisiana State University, University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), and the University of Canterbury.

Researchers have discovered that seaweed can be a crucial pillar for food security in the context of abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios, as seen in scenarios like nuclear winter. 

Surprisingly, seaweed is resilient in adverse conditions, so its growth and potential to enhance food security increases after more severe nuclear conflicts.

Using an empirical model based on the seaweed Gracilaria tikvahiae, in combination with nuclear winter climate data, the researchers simulated global seaweed growth. The results demonstrate that seaweed has the capacity to be cultivated in tropical oceans even after a major nuclear war between Russia and the US. 

Such a war would deliver 150 Tg of black carbon to the atmosphere and could block out the sunlight for years but enough to drive photosynthesis. This scenario leads to increased vertical mixing and decreased phytoplankton production, providing more nutrients to the seaweed.

Previous studies show that agriculture and fisheries production would plummet, so alternative food sources like seaweed will be critical in ensuring good security in sunlight reduction scenarios.

Seaweed can be quickly scaled up to meet a substantial portion of global food application demand, reaching about 70% within just 7 to 13 months. Most of this can be used for animal feed and biofuel, as human consumption is limited to 10-15 % due to the high iodine content in seaweed, which could cause adverse health effects.