To Protect Delicious Wakame: An Algae Adventure That Starts with Miso Soup

Wakame is a staple on the everyday dining tables of Japanese households. But this beloved ingredient is now facing an unexpected crisis. Could the changing global environment be to blame? Dive into this intriguing and slightly mysterious tale, where a humble bowl of miso soup sparks a deeper exploration into the world of algae.

Characters

Mayo
A spirited fifth-grader with a foodie streak. She adores the wakame her mom adds to miso soup. Once something catches her attention, she dives in headfirst and can’t let it go.

Dr. Algae
An eccentric algae researcher with a passion for algae. He loves sharing his knowledge and often delves into intricate explanations, whether anyone asked for them or not.

Wakamen
A whimsical wakame fairy shrouded in mystery. Though their true identity remains unclear, their emotions seem different from those of humans.

Mayo has loved wakame for as long as she can remember. She’s so obsessed with it that her summer vacation independent study is all about wakame!

Mayo

What should I research about wakame? What even is wakame? A leaf? A jellyfish? Now that I think about it, there’s so much I don’t know!

Despite her enthusiasm, Mayo’s research isn’t going well. Wakame has even started showing up in her dreams, leaving her a little sleep-deprived.

Mayo

I’ll figure it out after I eat the wakame in my miso soup.

On one dinnertime evening, about halfway through summer vacation, Mayo sips her miso soup as usual when she suddenly hears a tiny voice coming out of nowhere.

Mysterious voice

Mayo... Help...me...

Mayo

What?!

She listens closely and realizes the voice is coming from inside the miso soup.

Mayo

Who’s that? What’s going on?

Mayo looks into the bowl, and something even stranger happens—her body begins to shrink! She gets smaller and smaller until she’s sucked right into the bowl!

Mayo

Oh no! What’s happening?!

Mayo gets sucked into the miso soup. When she comes to, she sees what looks like a human figure...

Mayo

Where am I? And who are you…?!

Dr. Algae

We’re in the ocean. I’m Dr. Algae!

Wakamen

I’m Wakamen. Thank you for coming, Mayo! Actually, we algae are in big trouble!

Dr. Algae

Mayo, you can hear Wakamen’s voice. Will you lend me your strength?

Mayo

Of course!

Dr. Algae

Here’s a question for you. Do you know the connection between wakame and mekabu?

Mayo

Are they like...distant relatives or something?

Dr. Algae

Nice try, but the correct answer is that mekabu is actually part of wakame. The folds between the root and leaves of wakame are called mekabu.

Mayo

Oh, I get it now!

●Dr. Algae’s Quick Facts on Algae
The folds between the roots and leaves of wakame, called mekabu, are packed with over 100 million zoospores—tiny spores with flagella that allow them to swim freely in the water. Just like playful children running around, wakame undergoes a phase where it swims through the sea. When these zoospores attach to rocks, they transform into tiny gametophytes that survive the high temperatures of summer and the creatures that munch on algae. As the water cools in winter, female gametophytes produce eggs, and male gametophytes release sperm. The fertilized eggs grow into new baby wakame! By spring, wakame starts growing again, releases more zoospores, and then dies off by early summer.

Mayo

Oh, so that’s the life cycle of wakame. But why does a single wakame produce 100 million spores when all they need to do is raise one little one with care?

Wakamen

Well, we’re vulnerable to high water temperatures, and since we’re so tasty, sea urchins and fish love to eat us. In the end, only a few of our spores survive. That’s why we produce so many.

Mayo

I see... By the way, Wakamen, I heard someone say 'Help me!' What was that about?

Wakamen

If things keep going like this, we might not be able to live in the sea at all...

Dr. Algae

That’s right. With the ocean warming up, sea urchins and fish are eating seaweed even in winter and spring, when the water’s supposed to be cooler. The habitat of wakame, known as kelp forests, is disappearing. There are already seas where not a single piece of seaweed can be found—it's like a desert.

●Dr. Algae’s Quick Facts on Algae
The decline of kelp forests caused by herbivorous animals is known as isoyake, or rocky-shore denudation. During the process of isoyake, wakame may actually thrive for 10 to 15 years, creating the illusion that the kelp forests are recovering, but this is only temporary. It’s a sign that the kelp forests are on the brink of disappearing, and eventually, the sea could become barren, with no seaweed left at all.
Seaweed, including wakame, plays a crucial role in purifying the water by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They also provide vital habitats for aquatic life, offering places for fish to spawn and hide, and forming the foundation of the food chain by serving as food for fish. If seaweed starts to decrease due to isoyake, it could signal a critical situation for all life on Earth.

Mayo

Does this mean I won’t be able to eat wakame anymore? I really don’t want that to happen...

Dr. Algae

It’s not like that. First and foremost, I want people to learn more about wakame and other seaweeds. Protecting the environments where kelp forests thrive helps protect the global environment as a whole. It’s important to take actions that benefit all living things, not just one species.

Wakamen

Keep boiling us, eat us, cultivate us, and eat even more!

Mayo

(I wonder what they's thinking...)

●Dr. Algae’s Quick Facts on Algae
Pizza and ice cream made with suji-aonori seaweed, chocolate made with tosakanori seaweed, and even soy sauce and wine crafted from seaweed—these are just some of the innovative recipes by Chef Shui Ishizaka of Sea Vegetable. Sea Vegetable is a Japanese company dedicated to studying seaweed and promoting a seaweed-based food culture. Their efforts include marine surface cultivation, which protects seaweed from predators using protective cages, as well as introducing new ways to enjoy seaweed and selling it in high-end restaurants. They are committed to enhancing the value of seaweed while ensuring its protection in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.

Mayo

So seaweed isn’t just for miso soup—you can even make delicious pizza with it!

Dr. Algae

Exactly! Now, let me explain something interesting. This time, it’s not about the sea, but the mountains.

Mayo

The mountains? But...isn’t seaweed from the ocean?

Dr. Algae

Yes, but the sea, the mountains, and the rivers are all connected. Nature works as one big system.

●Dr. Algae’s Quick Facts on Algae
Another factor contributing to the decline of kelp forests is sediment runoff from the mountains. When mud settles on the seabed, it prevents zoospores from attaching to rocks, making it difficult for seaweed to grow. However, in areas where freshwater springs emerge from the seabed, sediment doesn’t accumulate, allowing seaweed to thrive. These freshwater springs carry nutrients and oxygen that originate from rainwater absorbed in the mountains. Thoughtful forest management, such as thinning trees to increase water retention, helps maintain healthy forests. This, in turn, supports thriving oceans.

Wakamen

We seaweed aren’t just connected to the ocean—we’re tied to the land and forests, too! That’s the idea of circulation.

Mayo

Whoa, that’s...really deep.

Wakamen

We’re connected to humans as well. I believe if we work together, there’s a way for both seaweed and people to thrive.

Mayo

The sea, the mountains, the seaweed, mushrooms, bamboo shoots...they’re all connected—and they all look so tasty... Oh, something smells really good...

“Mayo, dinner’s ready! The wakame miso soup is getting cold. Don’t doze off!”
She hears her mom calling from the kitchen.

Mayo

Miso soup... Wakamen...?

When she opens her eyes, she’s back at the dinner table, just like always. She must have been dreaming.

Mayo

If I want to keep enjoying delicious wakame and protect the environment, I’ve got to tell everyone about algae! But first...I have to eat this miso soup!

“Help... Help...”

Mayo

What?! Again?