Kelp, known in Japan as kombu, is harvested from the ocean where it is a home for small fish,
sea urchins, and other underwater species. To collect it from the beds where it grows, sea
vegetable harvesters only snip a portion of the leaves from the base plant so it can grow back
and protect the wildlife in its natural ocean habitat. Kelp naturally grows at a rate of as
much as 18 inches per day, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable plant resources.
