Nasquluq
Nereocystis luetkeana (K. Mertens) Postels et Ruprecht
Plant
Bull kelp is a very large seaweed with a long, largely hollow stipe or “stem” with an inflated bulb at the end. Long blades or “leaves” trail from above the bulb. The plant grows abundantly in Kodiak’s nearshore waters.
Food: Stems of small bull kelp can be eaten raw. Bull kelp is also made into pickles and relish.
Material: Hollow sections of bull kelp stipe can be used to siphon water from boats. Thinner parts of the stipe were once used for fishing line, net making, and as rope for securing boats and climbing on cliffs. The stem also served as a whip. The bulb serves as a target in the bow and arrow game ruuwarluni, and pieces of bull kelp are ammunition for children’s popguns. Bull kelp is also a garden fertilizer.
