Australian Scientists to Explore Untapped Potential of Seaweed

A blanket of seaweed covering the normally picturesque Cottesloe Beach after a storm near Perth, Western Australia, on Oct. 4, 2012. GREG WOOD/AFP/GettyImages

From curing strawberry diseases to removing carbon from the atmosphere, seaweed is much more than a nutritious side dish.

Hundreds of international scientists and industry experts will gather in the Australian island state of Tasmania this week to discuss the crop’s untapped potential.