Big Seaweed Search
Our coast is home to an amazing variety of seaweeds. 650 different species live and grow around the UK.
Discovering where and how they grow can tell us vital information about our climate. The more data we gather, the more knowledge and influence we have to fight for the future of our seas.
What is the Big Seaweed Search?
Every year, together with the Natural History Museum, we team up with people across the country to take a closer look at UK seaweeds. Whether you live by the sea or only visit every now and again, you can get involved in the Big Seaweed Search!
Take part in the Big Seaweed Search
You don’t need to be a seaweed expert to get involved. We've made a guide that explains what you need to do and some top tips on how to identify each of the seaweeds.
Meet the seaweed types
There are over 650 species of seaweed found around the UK and we’re on the lookout for 14 of them.These 14 species were chosen because they're good indicator species – a species whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental factor. Indicator species can mark a change in the condition of an ecosystem.We've split the species into three groups to highlight the environmental change they indicate.
Explore the data
Hundreds of volunteers have submitted data which shows how the distribution of seaweeds around the UK is changing. This information will help us to take action to protect our coastlines, seaweeds, and all the amazing wildlife that depend on them.