Emerging research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks suggests that implementing kelp farms may be an effective strategy for combatting the growing problem of marine pollution. The university study identified that kelp farms possess water-filtering qualities that could be exploited to reduce marine pollution in coastal areas. The research analysed carbon and nitrogen levels in two mixed-species kelp farms in southcentral and southeast Alaska during the 2020-21 growing season.
Results from tissue and seawater samples demonstrated that seaweed species might have various abilities that enable them to remove nutrients from their surroundings and effectively combat marine pollution.