For hundreds of years, people have gathered kelp and its kin for fertilizer, chemicals and food. Algin, a thickener and emulsifier , is used to improve the body and texture of foods. If you've ever eaten store-bought ice cream, you've eaten kelp. And algin's in the toothpaste you brushed with after you ate the ice cream. You'll also find it in breads and beer, make-up, paints and other products you may have at home.
Kelp grows quickly and the plants recover rapidly.
In waters off southern California, a pruned patch can be ready for a second harvest in a month. Kelp harvesting is a fishery , managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. An aquarium diver harvests giant kelp for our Kelp Forest exhibit.