Storm offerings

Now is the perfect time to go fossicking along the strandline of a local beach. As well as getting lungfuls of fresh air, you may find storm-blown marine treasures. Look out for kelp ‘holdfasts’. These tough, thick anchors grip seabed rocks – kelp lacks roots – but heavy seas wrench them off and toss them ashore. Living kelp can be harvested sustainably to extract alginates, used in toothpaste, ice cream and drugs, but there is controversy over plans for a largescale harvest off Scotland (see p59).

FIND OUT MORE Discover marine life at marlin.ac.uk