Sargassum in Curaçao, turning a challenge into an opportunity
Curaçao has experienced significant Sargassum influxes since 2015. Given the recurrence of these influxes, it is important to identify the causes and effects in order to mitigate the effects and manage the influxes through prevention rather than through reactive responses. The Netherlands Water Partnership, TNO – the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research – and various public and private sector partners in Curaçao hosted a workshop on 19 July 2022 to address Sargassum in Curaçao and discuss means to turning it into a business opportunity.
The mass stranding of Sargassum on coastlines has significant negative impacts, particularly on coastal communities and livelihoods, public health, marine ecosystems, and socioeconomic activities such as tourism and fisheries, representing a threat of an emerging hazard for several countries in the Caribbean, including Curaçao.
There is active research ongoing to better 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?
The Netherlands Water Partnership, TNO – the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research – and various public and private sector partners in Curaçao hosted a workshop on 19 July to address Sargassum in Curaçao and discuss means to turning it into a business opportunity.
Recordings
Presentations
- Living lab Curacao – Sargassum: A ‘blooming ‘opportunity | Luisa F Flechas, Business Developer - TNO Energy Transition Unit, Biobased and Circular Technologies Cluster. See presentation.
- Understanding the sargassum crisis in the Mexican Caribbean | Dr Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. See presentation.
- Building Sustainable Sargassum Value Chains: Opportunities for the integration of digital technologies | Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, Ocean Professional, Founder and CEO, Blue Shell Productions. See presentation.
- Act with impact: The potential of scaling nature based solutions | Rogier Wilmink, Business Development Manager Ocean Health, Van Oord. See presentation.
