Recognising Seaweeds: Addressing Gaps in International Biodiversity Frameworks for Global Seaweed Conservation

This is an open-access article.

As anthropogenic pressures increasingly impact marine ecosystems and the biodiversity they support, governance mechanisms for international biodiversity conservation have emerged. Seaweed habitats are important repositories for marine biodiversity, and they provide crucial ecosystem services that support both ocean and human health. Despite their ecological significance, seaweeds have been overlooked in global conservation discourse compared to other marine habitats. This study provides a thematic analysis of 18 international biodiversity frameworks to assess the representation of seaweeds and explores ways to better integrate them into policies. Key obstacles preventing full integration include imperfect institutional coordination, inconsistent seaweed-related terminology use, limited representation within biodiversity targets and the absence of legally binding agreements with enforcement mechanisms. To address these, the study provides recommendations to improve the integration of seaweeds into biodiversity frameworks, thereby supporting broader marine ecosystem resilience. Improved seaweed representation and conservation will contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life below water).