Laminaria hyperborea

Other names: tangle, cuvie

Laminaria hyperborea, also known as tangle or cuvie, is a brown seaweed found in the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly around the coasts of the British Isles, Scandinavia and the North Atlantic. This stretching broad-leaved alga can reach lengths of up to 4 metres and typically grows at depths of 1 to 20 metres, attaching to hard substrate using a chitosan anchoring apparatus.

Like many other seaweeds, Laminaria hyperborea is used in a number of products. The main content of this algae is alginate, a polysaccharide used in the food industry as a stabilizer, thickener and gelling agent. In addition to its food uses, alginate is also used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Furthermore, Laminaria contains minerals such as iodine and potassium, natural antioxidants and B vitamins, making it suitable for use in nutritional supplements and healthy diets. More recently, Laminaria hyperborea has also started to be used as a raw material for biofuel production. Based on these wide uses, Laminaria Hyperborea is considered an important and sustainable natural resource.