Eating Chinese seaweed could be the food of the future

Nicknamed "naked clams" due to their lack of shells, barnacles grow faster than organisms such as mussels and oysters, and have a short harvest time.

A group of scientists at Cambridge University and Plymouth University, England, are farming barnacles as an alternative food source for shrimp and fish, Interesting Engineering reported on April 9.

Sea buckthorn is located in a wooden panel. (Photo: Plymouth University).

Sea barnacles or wood-boring barnacles have strong destructive capabilities. In their early stages of life, they are small, free-swimming creatures. When they find a suitable place to live on wood, they will develop into a new form and bury themselves in the wood. Sea buckthorn once caused trouble for explorer Christopher Columbus. During his journey to the Caribbean, they weakened the ship's hull, threatening the safety of his crew.

Sea barnacles do not have shells. As a result, researcher David Willer from the University of Cambridge and his colleague Reuben Shipway, from the University of Plymouth, like their nickname "naked clams" . Sea barnacles do not waste energy to develop their shells. This helps them grow faster than mussels and oysters - which can take up to two years to reach harvestable size.

Cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns account for 80% of seafood consumed in the UK. They are frequently caught using harmful and unsustainable methods called trawling. Scientists hope seaweed will bring humans the same benefits as a fish-rich diet in a more sustainable way.

Seabed trawling is a widely used industrial fishing method, whereby fishermen drag heavy nets across the seabed to catch fish. This method destroys natural undersea habitats by plowing the seabed and impacts every plant and animal species that lives there.

"The great thing about naked clams is that they eat wood. Compared to animals like tuna, the natural environment is not impacted by fishing," Willer said. The key factor leading to the success of barnacles is the symbiotic bacteria and fungi in their abdomen. Bacteria and fungi help convert wood into a variety of compounds including protein, vitamin B12 and essential micronutrients.

In 2023, the research team built the world's first seaweed farming system in Plymouth, England. Once they receive a patent for their invention, they will launch a scale-up plan in May.