Kelp is Seaweed, but a Seaweed can be a Kelp and other things. In the vast oceans lies our plant friends that serve as food and shelter to hundreds and millions of sea creatures, including fish. They give luster to the ocean floor, and flows with the current.
Seaweed encompasses different kinds of water plants, and is simply classified according to their color. There are shades of brown, some are reds, and other greens. The color depends on the amount of photosynthesis, they are able to perform. Seaweeds are able to thrive in different water forms – from fresh to salty, shallow or deep; and they can either be planted on the sea/ocean floor, or floating on water. Some seaweeds can even be ingested by humans.
As a kind of seaweed, Kelp is a good example of human staple food. It belongs to the largest kind and produces their own “kelp forest.” They anchor themselves in one place to grow, house variety of species of fish, and provides food. Although there are also different kinds of kelps, they are known to grow along the coastal shores. Japan uses kelp in variety of dishes, and proves of their nutritional contents such as anti-microbial properties.
Following are key Difference Between Kelp vs Seaweed
| Kelp | Seaweed | |
| Annotation | Belongs to brown algae, a large seaweed. | Belongs to algae family, a primitive sea plants |
| Calcium | More Calcium than other seaweed | Less calcium than kelp |
| Iron | Moderate amount of iron | Moderate amount of iron |
| Where they grow? | In clear shallow waters cooler than 68 degree Fahrenheit | Grow in many places from the poles to the equator |
| Uses | Thickening agent of toothpaste and Ice Cream | Bread, noodles and certain drinks |
| Ancestor | Common ancestor | Not for all seaweeds |
