For centuries, seaweed has been used as a fertilizer; George Owen of Henllys writing in the 16th century referring to drift weed in South Wales:
fɔːɹ sˈɛntʃɚɹiz, sˈiːwiːd hˈæzbiːn jˈuːzd æz ɐ fˈɜːɾəlˌaɪzɚ; dʒˈɔːɹdʒ ˈoʊɪn ʌv hˈɛnəliz ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɪnðə sˈɪkstiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi ɹᵻfˈɜːɹɪŋ tə dɹˈɪft wˈiːd ɪn sˈaʊθ wˈeɪlz: