Most people are aware of the floral riches of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve but few know the extent of the rich variety of sea-plants along the Rooiels coast. The Hangklip area has 200 species identified and Bolton concluded that there are 748 species that have been recorded along the South African coastline but there is no comprehensive and up to date species list.
The two most important macro-nutrients for seaweeds are generally considered to be Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P), and these and other macro-and micro-nutrients are mainly provided by the upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich water from the continental shelf or deeper. The nutrients come mainly from decomposed organisms that have sunk down to the sea-floor, although riverine sediments also contribute organic matter that is ultimately upwelled in the form of inorganic nutrients. temperatures below about 16 oC usually indicate moderate to high nutrient levels, while those above 18 oC indicate low or limiting levels. Water temperature can thus serve as a general indicator of nutrient availability.
Seaweeds are algae (marine macro-algae) and are essential to the ecology of the nearshore waters. They form a buffer against the waves and provide food and shelter for many sea creatures. Kelp (Ecklonia maxima) forms forests along our rocky shorelines. Our kreef use it to hide in and when you are diving you feel as if you are exploring a magical kingdom with the stems and fronds swaying about in the waves. The kelp fronds can be used instead of pasta and the young stems as pickles. They also add amazing flavour when larger stems are stuffed with uncooked food and put on the braai or in the oven. There are many edible species in Rooiels including nori (Porphyra capensis) which is somewhat tougher, but essentially the same, as the dried wrapping for sushi, and the seaweed used by the Welsh in Laver bread (oat cakes made with nori). You will all have seen it as it hangs limply from the rocks on the sand fully exposed at low tide. Sea lettuce (Ulva capensis) is the very bright apple green seaweed you see in the rock pools. It can be used chopped fine as a garnish or in salads. Both nori and sea lettuce make excellent, healthy chips. Sprinkle with a little sesame or olive oil on baking sheets and roast in a hot oven for about 7 minutes. Suhria vittata has red-brown fronds and you will most often find it on the beach on washed-up kelp. It makes a rich red sea weed jelly, as does Gelidium pristoides. Dark brown (red) seaweed that looks like Ox tongue (Gigartina polycarpa) is delicious lightly fried in tempura batter. Codium, fat fingers, are very tasty just cut up fine and use raw as a condiment in egg dishes, rice etc. Boil the large sheets of yellow-brown Aeodes orbitosa to a mush, drain well and add it to pasta sauces for all that health. Use water from boiling in soups or your dog’s food (but discard if you used vinegar!). There are so many more you can experiment with adding nutrients and a sense of adventure to your food.
Seaweeds absorb nutrients from the sea around them, assimilating inorganic substances and converting them into organic combines we can use. No pesticides, no fertilizers, nor growth-hormones. No carcinogens – just health from the sea. Any seaweed is edible except for two but they are not found here – to be absolutely safe Louie Lemmer’s advice - avoid eating any seaweed that is thinner than a fine strand of hair! All seaweeds are a rich source of Vitamin B12 and most other vitamins. They are anti-oxidants and are high in iodine, calcium, other minerals and trace elements as well as protein. Seaweeds can be used fresh from the sea, just rinse (don’t soak) and then cook – although some, like kelp, need first to be broken down and boiled with a little lemon or vinegar before cutting it into shape and using in a pasta dish. You can store seaweed by drying in an oven or leave in the sun to dry. Bring them in at night and keep putting them out until totally dry.
Exploring our rock pools is great fun and there is a wealth of sea creatures amongst the seaweed. Many of them are also edible – the sea urchins, the limpets, the periwinkles, chitons and of course lots of mussels. Most of the mussels we see are actually alien – but delicious! The Mediterranean mussels spread here on the ships that came from Europe. Get a licence from the post office and harvest the bounty. The baboon troop in Rooiels also heads down to the pools at the low Spring tides to forage. The Cape chacma baboons are unique in foraging for crustaceans. The Rooiels baboons do not appear to harvest mussels but specialise in limpets. They are clever in the way they pry off the limpets that can apparently hold onto rocks with a force of 75 lb/sq.i. It is likely that the other baboons in the Kogelberg biosphere also eat limpets rather than the mussels the Peninsula baboons eat. This behaviour appears to indicate that it is a learned behaviour passed down in the troops. One wonders if this experimentation was the result of play or desperation after droughts.
You need a permit to catch or collect plants and animals -- go to the Fish and other sea animals page for details and information on how to navigate the online system.
References
Anderson RJ, Stegenga H, Bolton JJ. 2016. Seaweeds of the South African South Coast.
University of Cape Town http://southafrseaweeds.uct.ac.za; Accessed on 13 February 2018
J. J. Bolton & H. Stegenga (2002) Seaweed species diversity in South Africa, South African Journal of Marine Science, 24:1, 9-18 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/025776102784528402
Branch, G., C.Griffiths, M.Branch and L. Beckley, Two Oceans David Philip publishers, Cape Town 2005
The two most important macro-nutrients for seaweeds are generally considered to be Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P), and these and other macro-and micro-nutrients are mainly provided by the upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich water from the continental shelf or deeper. The nutrients come mainly from decomposed organisms that have sunk down to the sea-floor, although riverine sediments also contribute organic matter that is ultimately upwelled in the form of inorganic nutrients. temperatures below about 16 oC usually indicate moderate to high nutrient levels, while those above 18 oC indicate low or limiting levels. Water temperature can thus serve as a general indicator of nutrient availability.
Seaweeds are algae (marine macro-algae) and are essential to the ecology of the nearshore waters. They form a buffer against the waves and provide food and shelter for many sea creatures. Kelp (Ecklonia maxima) forms forests along our rocky shorelines. Our kreef use it to hide in and when you are diving you feel as if you are exploring a magical kingdom with the stems and fronds swaying about in the waves. The kelp fronds can be used instead of pasta and the young stems as pickles. They also add amazing flavour when larger stems are stuffed with uncooked food and put on the braai or in the oven. There are many edible species in Rooiels including nori (Porphyra capensis) which is somewhat tougher, but essentially the same, as the dried wrapping for sushi, and the seaweed used by the Welsh in Laver bread (oat cakes made with nori). You will all have seen it as it hangs limply from the rocks on the sand fully exposed at low tide. Sea lettuce (Ulva capensis) is the very bright apple green seaweed you see in the rock pools. It can be used chopped fine as a garnish or in salads. Both nori and sea lettuce make excellent, healthy chips. Sprinkle with a little sesame or olive oil on baking sheets and roast in a hot oven for about 7 minutes. Suhria vittata has red-brown fronds and you will most often find it on the beach on washed-up kelp. It makes a rich red sea weed jelly, as does Gelidium pristoides. Dark brown (red) seaweed that looks like Ox tongue (Gigartina polycarpa) is delicious lightly fried in tempura batter. Codium, fat fingers, are very tasty just cut up fine and use raw as a condiment in egg dishes, rice etc. Boil the large sheets of yellow-brown Aeodes orbitosa to a mush, drain well and add it to pasta sauces for all that health. Use water from boiling in soups or your dog’s food (but discard if you used vinegar!). There are so many more you can experiment with adding nutrients and a sense of adventure to your food.
Seaweeds absorb nutrients from the sea around them, assimilating inorganic substances and converting them into organic combines we can use. No pesticides, no fertilizers, nor growth-hormones. No carcinogens – just health from the sea. Any seaweed is edible except for two but they are not found here – to be absolutely safe Louie Lemmer’s advice - avoid eating any seaweed that is thinner than a fine strand of hair! All seaweeds are a rich source of Vitamin B12 and most other vitamins. They are anti-oxidants and are high in iodine, calcium, other minerals and trace elements as well as protein. Seaweeds can be used fresh from the sea, just rinse (don’t soak) and then cook – although some, like kelp, need first to be broken down and boiled with a little lemon or vinegar before cutting it into shape and using in a pasta dish. You can store seaweed by drying in an oven or leave in the sun to dry. Bring them in at night and keep putting them out until totally dry.
Exploring our rock pools is great fun and there is a wealth of sea creatures amongst the seaweed. Many of them are also edible – the sea urchins, the limpets, the periwinkles, chitons and of course lots of mussels. Most of the mussels we see are actually alien – but delicious! The Mediterranean mussels spread here on the ships that came from Europe. Get a licence from the post office and harvest the bounty. The baboon troop in Rooiels also heads down to the pools at the low Spring tides to forage. The Cape chacma baboons are unique in foraging for crustaceans. The Rooiels baboons do not appear to harvest mussels but specialise in limpets. They are clever in the way they pry off the limpets that can apparently hold onto rocks with a force of 75 lb/sq.i. It is likely that the other baboons in the Kogelberg biosphere also eat limpets rather than the mussels the Peninsula baboons eat. This behaviour appears to indicate that it is a learned behaviour passed down in the troops. One wonders if this experimentation was the result of play or desperation after droughts.
You need a permit to catch or collect plants and animals -- go to the Fish and other sea animals page for details and information on how to navigate the online system.
References
Anderson RJ, Stegenga H, Bolton JJ. 2016. Seaweeds of the South African South Coast.
University of Cape Town http://southafrseaweeds.uct.ac.za; Accessed on 13 February 2018
J. J. Bolton & H. Stegenga (2002) Seaweed species diversity in South Africa, South African Journal of Marine Science, 24:1, 9-18 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/025776102784528402
Branch, G., C.Griffiths, M.Branch and L. Beckley, Two Oceans David Philip publishers, Cape Town 2005
In Iceland seaweed has been eaten since 960 B.C. and the oldest law book refers to special rights and concessions being required to collect it from a neighbour's land. Chinese poetry from 800 B.C. extols the delicacy of sea vegetables. In Hawaii the nobility kept seaweed gardens, transplanting rare and choice varieties to a protected location near their beach home and weeding out the less desirable species. Seaweed still forms an important part of the diet in most Eastern cultures and in Russia on the Kamchatka Peninsula Palmaria palmate is fermented and used as an alcoholic drink. Porphyra (nori in Japanese, kim in Korean and chi choy to the Chinese) is the most widely eaten. It is also used in Scotland, Ireland and Wales in variations of the basic recipe: boil it until a mush is formed, drain the water and then roll it in oats and fry it in a little oil. Use the drained water in soups, or give it to your dogs as it is also rich in nutrients.
