Does sea weed wilt very easily? If so, why?

Last season a Korean NCKA member taught me to eat sea weed.  So I picked up some in my recent trip.  When I got back, I found some were already wilting severely, softening almost to the point of rotting if it were a regular vegetable.  Anyone can explain this characteristic of sea weed?  What makes them wilt?  Is it the lack of water?  The heat in the trunk?  The squeeze?

Maybe this will help...

http://www.ehow.com/how_7559791_process-seaweed.html

Maybe this will help...

http://www.ehow.com/how_7559791_process-seaweed.html

Hey thanks for the good info.  My question really pertains to the period before the above processing starts.  I found the sea weed already wilted.  Here is my best recollection:

1. When I got home, which is a 2 hour drive, the sea wood seems still pretty firm.
2. I started washing them in the sink get rid of the slime on the outside, then I soaked them in fresh water for about 30 min during with I went to deal with abs.
3. When I returned, I found 10 percent of the sea weed already wilted; they are thinned out and shrunk.

Now that I think about it more, could it be the soaking in the fresh water?  If the liquid inside the seaweed has salinity maybe soaking in fresh water can cause liquid to escape?
3.

You need to keep them in salt water not fresh water.

http://www.gardenguides.com/135075-harvest-seaweed.html

CLASSIC BLUESTAR POST!