Humble seaweed is having a moment. It’s been heralded as a sustainable superfood , a biodegradable replacement for plastic packaging and a feed supplement to cut cows’ methane emissions. Now, new research shows that seaweed forests — such as massive underwater towers of kelp — may play a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought.

A study by researchers at Conservation International and the University of Western Australia found that seaweeds absorb as much climate-warming carbon as the Amazon rainforest. But not all seaweed forests are created equal — some offer much better climate benefits than others.

To learn why, Conservation News sat down with the study’s lead author Albert Pessarrodona, a post-doctoral researcher at Conservation International.

Conservation News: What did your research find?

Albert Pessarrodona: For years, we’ve suspected that seaweed is an underappreciated ally in the fight against climate change. Our research set out to examine that potential.…