A man in a boat plants kelp at a plantation in Shidao Bay in Rongcheng, Shandong province. [Photo/IC]

Fishermen plant kelp in Rongcheng, Shandong province in early winter. Rongcheng, which has the largest cultivation area and output of kelp in China, is also known as the "kelp capital" of the country. The city produces 80 percent of Shandong province's kelp and more than 40 percent of the country's total. [Photo/IC]

An aerial photo of the kelp plantation in Rongcheng, Shandong province [Photo/IC]

Fishermen plant kelp in Rongcheng, Shandong province in early winter. [Photo/IC]

Kelp has long been a part of the diets of Asian cultures. [Photo/IC]

The kelp plantation in Rongcheng, Shandong province [Photo/IC]