You may not think of algae as being something you can wear, but a team from UC San Diego is working to change that. There are tiny, microscopic plants in the ocean that help us stay alive by clearing carbon dioxide from the air. Those plants are algae and they provide oxygen and food for millions of marine animals, and now algae is being used to create biodegradable sustainable shoes. “This is in every ocean, every river, every lake. They’re survivors, they’re the first organisms on the planet, they’re the reason you and I can breathe,” says Distinguished Professor of Biology Stephen Mayfield. Now algae has turned into a source of inspiration for his students to replace plastic products. “Every ocean is covered in plastic trash, how did we do that? Why did we do that?” Professor Mayfield asks. Wanting to solve major environmental problems, Professor Mayfield tasked his students to use algae to help clear the world of plastic pollution, “we have significant problems caused by us that there are scientific solutions to.” Their solution came in the form of footwear. MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/outreach/earth8/uc-san-diego-students-making-sustainable-shoes-from-algae/509-9bd5fd2a-d0bd-47ad-9de0-9f99c03fa5e0