<p>Hydrogels made of seaweed have become a promising source of green biomaterials because of their high rates of biocompatibility, biodegradability and the presence of bioactive polysaccharides. Alginate, carrageenan, agar, and fucoidan are marine polysaccharides that have distinct physicochemical and biological suitability to different biomedical applications. Over the past few years, these natural polymers have found wide applications in wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This review will summarize the current developments in the extraction, modification and fabrication of seaweed-based hydrogels and will describe their physicochemical properties and biological performance. Special emphasis is made on types of hybrid hydrogel systems created by incorporation of seaweed polysaccharides with other biopolymers like chitosan, gelatin and synthetic polymers with the view to enhancing mechanical strength and bioactivity. Moreover, biomedical performance, benefits, and constraints of various seaweed-based hydrogels are critically examined. Lastly, existing issues regarding scalability, stability and clinical translation are discussed and future research directions on the development of improved marine-based hydrogel systems are also discussed.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>