Global warming wreaks havoc on Japanese edible kelp

In the not too distant future, global warming could deprive Japanese cuisine of an essential element: "konbu," or edible kelp.A Hokkaido University research group has warned that 11 principal breeds of natural konbu may cease to exist by the 2090s.That also poses a threat to sea urchins, prized as a delicacy themselves in Japan for the edible part called "uni," and other sea fauna that depend on this ecological system for their survival.Researchers at the university's Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, headed by professor Masahiro Nakaoka, predicted the habitat distribution of kon…READ FULL ARTICLE