Emeritus Professor John Bolton will present the Department of Biological Sciences seminar with a talk entitled, "The seaweed revolution:  biology, aquaculture, nutrition".  This is a repeat of the Gilchrist Memorial Public lecture that he gave in Port Elizabeth last year.

Abstract:  Seaweed is a misnomer for marine plants which contribute the fastest-growing human food sector over the last 30 years.  More than 95% is grown in aquaculture.  Thus far this is primarily a Far East revolution, but evidence is growing on the environmental, economic and nutritional benefits of seaweeds, to feed people globally in the future.  South African abalone farms are often mentioned elsewhere as world innovators in growing seaweeds commercially on land, whereas this tends to be ignored locally.  The talk will discuss the need and prospects for, and constrains on, this imminent marine revolution.