Seaweed 3 metres deep on Croquet Lawn

• Croquet Lawn in Bridport was inundated by seaweed last week. Image Teritta Cheyenne.

March 15, 2023

As the north easterly winds rolled in last week so did a large swell from the Tasman Sea bringing with it seaweed that filled the beach on Croquet Lawn Bridport.

The sight is a fairly regular occurrence according to local Jeff Jennings who said seaweed often washes up in oversupply along the coast.

“Although in some places it was two to three metres deep which was a lot,” he said.

 Mr Jennings said when this type of strong swell comes it rips all of the seaweed off the ocean floor of the bay and brings it to shore.

“When the waves are only one or two metres down it doesn’t have this outcome, but the swell was deep and reaching so it pulled along the seafloor onto the beach.

“It usually takes quite a few months to clear, I imagine it will be fairly settled for a while.”

In Tasmania there is no license required when removing less than 100kg a day per person of beach cast seaweed if collected for personal use only.

We hear it’s great for garden mulch and will clean the beach up a little faster than the natural way! Harvesting is not allowed in marine parks and other protected areas.