Marine habitats will face a growing number of pressures in the coming decades because of anthropogenically induced climate change, ocean warming and ocean acidification, biodiversity shifts and overexploitation (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2023). Effective engagement of scientific research beyond academia is crucial for maximising the resilience of nature to these global challenges (Herbert-Read et al. 2022). Ocean literacy is a fundamental first step towards global marine science education, research and effective conservation of ecologically important ecosystems (Santoro et al. 2017; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013). Here, we provide some examples (not an exhaustive list) of recent outreach initiatives across multiple media types that were designed to elevate public knowledge about coralline algae—globally distributed calcified red seaweeds—and their associated habitats, known as coralline algae reefs, maerl beds or rhodolith beds. Placed within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) Ocean Literacy Framework (Santoro et al. 2017) and aligned to the seven 'Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy' (Box 1), we show that coralline algae are an excellent basis for elevating ocean literacy at local, regional and global scales and transcending diverse public groups.