Sea vegetables are wild ocean plants, or marine algae, enjoyed daily as staple and healing foods in many coastal parts of the world. Small amounts of sea veggies add a rich flavor and enhance the nutritional value of most dishes. These exceptionally vital plants inhabit the fertile, energetic region where ocean meets land; from the very exposed high tide mark to the constantly immersed bottom just below low tide. They inhabit all the world's oceans.
Technically speaking, not all sea vegetables are plants, even though we refer to them that way.  Macroalgae are classified by three color groups: red (6,000 species), brown (2,000 species), and green (1,200 species).  The red and green groups (Rhodophytes and Ulvophytes) are classified on the same fork of the tree of life as plants, though different side branches.  The brown algae (Phaeophytes) are placed on a different fork unrelated to plants or the other macroalgae species.
While there are many species of marine algae, only about 145 of them have a history as human food. Popular American sea vegetables from the east coast are dulse, kelp, Alaria, and laver, and sea palm from the west coast. Asian varieties include nori, hijiki, arame, kombu and wakame. We offer dulse, sugar kelp, Alaria, laver, Irish moss, sea lettuce, rockweed, and bladderwrack.