This highly absorbent, biodegradable dressing derived from seaweed can be successfully applied to cleanse a wide variety of secreting lesions. The high absorption of exudate is achieved via strong hydrophilic gel formation and this serves to control wound secretion levels and to minimize bacterial contamination. Alginate fibres trapped in a wound are readily biodegraded and do not have to be removed thus avoiding disturbance of granulation tissue formation. Additional features are odour remission, conformability and ready removal of tissue adherent material.