It's harvested with giant gloating "lawn mowers" that cut down 4 feet below the surface. A kelp bed can produce 3 or 4 "mowings" a year.
I use dried seaweeds for thickening soups to get a Chinese look and feel to it.
Probably getting the pieces of kelp floating onto beaches is not a good idea because the stuff was broken off during a storm God knows how long ago, and probably half rotted.
If you have a BOAT, then maybe getting the fresh kelp might be a good idea if it grows in waters near you.
No, don't eat it raw.
Kelp............Anyone? 
