Faculty in the Lab (tie): Nutricious and Delicious

Photography by Megan Davis, Ph.D., research professor,
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Four Types of Sea Vegetables: Sea vegetables are halophyte, or salt-loving, plants and can be found in the coastal areas around the world, including in Florida. They are highly nutritious and can be used in many culinary dishes such as in salads, soups, pasta dishes, stir-fries and also as a garnish. These halophyte plants can also be used for coastal restoration. At FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, we grow four species as part of the Integrated Multi-Tropic Aquaculture (IMTA) system. They grow rapidly on the nutrients produced by the fish in the system. The four species from left to right top are sea blite and sea purslane; from left to right bottom are saltwort and sea asparagus. Funding for this project comes from the Aquaculture Specialty License Plate granted by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Foundation.