Mrs Imrie said newly washed up sea lettuce was nutritious and edible. The pamphlet highlighted how early Maori used sea lettuce in cooking and how it was still eaten today in salads and stews throughout the world.
Its composition was 40-45 per cent carbohydrates, 18-24 per cent protein, 2-3 per cent magnesium, 1-2 per cent sodium, 1-2 per cent fat and up to 1 per cent potassium.
However, changing eating habits was always going to be difficult and Harbour Watch's main aim was to convince more people to use sea lettuce in their gardens. The pamphlet sets out how to turn sea lettuce into a fertiliser and how to compost the algae.
The pamphlet will be available from the Environment Centre in 17th Avenue, some garden centres, council offices and garden clubs.
The launch coincides with the University of Waikato's coastal economic symposium tomorrow at the Bongard Centre from 9am to 3pm.
Called Treasuring the Bay, the public symposium brings together renown coastal and marine scientists.