This Applied Phycology article presents findings from the GlobalSeaweed SUPERSTAR project, led by the Scottish Association for Marine Science, assessing seaweed aquaculture and wild harvesting in relation to biodiversity protection and Marine Protected Areas.

Using global mapping and multi-dataset analysis across 82 countries, the study identifies 261 commercially used species, highlights major gaps in species identification and production reporting, and shows that nearly half of seaweed activities occur within 1 km of MPAs.

With relevance to Indonesia and Malaysia, findings inform strategies to protect wild stocks, strengthen coastal ecosystems, build capacity and improve livelihoods.