Mitigating Impacts of Sargassum on Coastal Communities in the Tropical Atlantic
Issues
Accumulation and decay of sargassum on beaches is impacting coastlines in the Caribbean, America, and West Africa – causing losses of millions in the tourism industry, affecting the health of residents, and impacting the environment
Needs
Coordination of existing activities related to sargassum transport and extension monitoring, coastal inundation, and mitigation
Access to free, open and easily understandable monitoring and forecasting products for society
Knowledge about the biological and ecological impacts of the increased sargassum as well as about the reproduction and growth/decay behavior of sargassum in the new conditions and of the variations between species
Solutions to prevent sargassum from inundating beaches and for the collection, disposal or use of sargassum biomass in a sustainable way.
Possible Outcomes
Sargassum Information Hub website to share activities and networks already operating in the field to overcome the lack of coordination of activities
Integrated and enhanced monitoring efforts (e.g. through development of citizen science initiatives)
Field experiments to validate satellite products and reduce uncertainties of forecasted pathways and extensions
Basin-wide forecasting system to tackle possible observing gaps and indicate where long-term measurements need to take place to improve information products
Main Contacts: Isabel Sousa Pinto (CIIMAR, Portugal), Emily Smail (GEO Blue Planet Initiative, USA), Cesar Toro (IOCARIBE), Jose Moutinho (AIR Centre, Portugal)
