Sargassum in Curaçao, turning a challenge into an opportunity
In a recent report presented by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (Alliance, 2019) Bonaire experienced a significant invasion of the Sargassum on their beaches and lagoons in March 2018, resulting in an ecosystem and severe health issues. Likewise, Curaçao has also experienced significant Sargassum influxes since 2015, continually increasing as reported in February and March 2022. The Netherlands Water Partnership, TNO – the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research – and various public and private sector partners in Curaçao will host a workshop on 19 July to address Sargassum in Curaçao and discuss means to turning it into a business opportunity.
Since 2011, Caribbean coastlines have been subject to massive and seasonal influxes of floating Sargassum seaweeds (Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluidans). The mass stranding of Sargassum on coastlines has significant negative impacts, particularly on coastal communities and livelihoods, public health, marine ecosystems, and socio-economic activities such as tourism and fisheries, representing a threat of an emerging hazard for several countries in the Caribbean.
Given the recurrence of the influxes in the Caribbean region, it is important to identify the causes and effects in order to mitigate the effects and manage the influxes through prevention rather than through a reactive responses. Therefore, this is an active area of research looking to understand this phenomenon and develop response strategies. However, multiple gaps remain to turn this challenge into an opportunity, and therefore it is important to formulate key questions such as why is this an important issue to solve? What stakeholders should be involved and what are their roles? What value chains should be targeted? And, most importantly, what is the roadmap ahead to turn Sargassum into an asset for Curaçao?
