by Linda Straker
- Sargassum seaweed is returning to the beaches on the eastern side of the island
- In 2018 and 2019, infrastructure was created to assist with beach clean up
Fisheries officials in St Andrew have confirmed that sargassum seaweed is returning to the beaches on the eastern side of the island, but it is not as bad as the 2018 and 2019 invasion which saw government spending millions to keep beaches clean.
“We saw some small amounts last week and today there is more, especially on the Soubise Beach,” said the fisheries official. In 2018, more than 1,000 square miles of seaweed were detected in satellite photos of the Caribbean.
The University of South Florida’s “Outlook of 2020 Sargussum” predicted that the 2020 sargassum influx will be low when compared to 2018 and 2019. These years were records for sargassum bloom.
The report which was released in February 2020, predicts that the Caribbean Sea will likely experience moderate amounts of sargassum in February to March, while some of the Lesser Antilles Islands (including Barbados, Tobago and Guadeloupe) may experience some small to moderate beaching events on their windward beaches.
“This situation may continue into spring. The seaweed is expected to begin arriving for April, May and June, before departing for another season later in the summer,” the report said.
Sargassum is a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface that has plagued beaches and tourist destinations. The first mass beaching was spotted in 2011, and contributing factors are believed to be nutrient inputs from the Amazon River, which discharges into the ocean around where blooms were first spotted; changes in ocean currents; and increased iron deposits from airborne dust.
In 2018 and 2019, the Ministry of the Environment created an infrastructure to assist with the cleaning up of the beaches affected by sargassum. That structure it is understood is still in place and the workers will be called to clean the beach once the need arises.
Ferment it, distill it, and make hand sanitizers from it. Solves two problems at once.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262685341_Ethanol_Production_from_Sargassum_sp_by_a_Simultaneous_Saccharification_and_Fermentation_Process
This Is a natural plant fertilizer .
Collect this mix with top soil .ground in a compactor to sand particles .spread
Not artificial chemistry .best for every thing.
This so called nuisance is an edible plant. Sargasso species vary in taste and texture so there is no one way to cook your local species. It takes experimentation. More so, among seaweeds Sargassum is not a prime edible but a plentiful one. Slightly bitter, one might call it an acquired taste, then again all tastes are acquired except that for sugar.
Some Sargassums are consumed fresh, others cooked in coconut milk or a little vinegar or lemon juice. It is smoked-dried to preserve it. Sargassum is also eaten by itself or added to fish and meat dishes. If not strong it can be added to salads after washing, or it can be cooked in water like a vegetable. Maybe we should organise a cook-off to see who can make the best, most interesting dish out of this nuisance.
Is this because of Global Warming?
Due in part to warmer waters but mostly due to food chain cycle interruption from contamination and excess of fertilizers in the ocean coming from rivers.