The Sarcastic Sargassum

How to Predict the Future             Based on all the information that has been produced from this blog we can be access the information we have learned to come to a conclusion about the future of sargassum in the Caribbean. We know what causes the sargassum serge and what to expect in the incoming years.              Also, we learned that we can track the path that the seaweed travels to better understand its migration patterns.                         All this and more will be discuss in the next blog post             Credit: MMCTSU .

Trinidad is Saving the Turtles In October 2015, forty-two turtles of varies species were found dead under two to three feet of seaweed along the shores of Barbados. This species included Hawksbill, Leatherback and Green Turtles. However, there were no reports of turtles being killing by the seaweed in Trinidad but many of them had to return to the water in search of a new nesting ground since the beaches were covered in mounds of seaweed. Upon this horrendous discovery, the government of Trinidad and Tobago took action to protect these turtles from the smothering effects of the seaweed.             In Trinidad there are many hotspots for turtle nesting along the east coast, these beaches include Grand Rivière, Mathura and Manzanilla/ Mayaro. In areas like Manzanilla and Mayaro the sand is compact making it simple to use an excavator to extract seaweed from the beaches, clearing the area for turtles to nest. However a prob...

We Explore Deeper           In this blog, so far, the origin of Sargassum Seaweed has been explored, the reason for the influx of the seaweed in the Caribbean has been explained, the negative effects of its presence has been examined and the possible uses of the seaweed have been elaborated on. These are all integral aspects of understanding the pros and cons of having sargassum seaweed on our nation’s shores.           In the next blog post we shall take a look at the measures that have been taken by Trinidad and Tobago to effectively deal with sargassum seaweed when it comes to turtle nesting, specifically, the leatherback turtles. Video showing the plan that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has put in place (2015) Credit: CTV

Turning a Nuisance into a Blessing      The sargassum seaweed that has been washing up upon our shores thus far has only served as a nuisance to society, government and marine life. However this is a fairly one-sided approach. Surely there must be a way for sargassum to be of value in our environment. Instead of looking at the seaweed as a huge inconvenience, we can utilize it in an innovative way that can create new employment for those that are directly affected by its presence and others. We can use seaweed in the agricultural industry as fertilizers, as animal feed, in grafting plants and it can act as a nursery for young marine animals.      Many agriculturally plantations use artificial fertilizers that have to be diluted in water before applying to their plants, if these salts and supplements are used incorrectly it can cause severe damage to crops. This is a costly and risky way to treat their precious crops. A cost-effective and useful applic...

Sargassum Seaweed Causing Us Stress       For the past seven years, seaweed has affected the shores of the Caribbean in many adverse ways. These issues can be categorized as economic and physical effects. These problems include aesthetic degradation, hampering leather-back turtle nesting, the disruption of the fishing industry and the putrid smell of rotting seaweed throughout the community. Mounds of rotting seaweed on Guadeloupe in April, HELENE VALENZUELA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES     Firstly, when we speak of aesthetic degradation along the coast of the Caribbean, it can impact tourism in a great way. In the Caribbean many islands depend on tourism as an economic stronghold. Many tourists flock to the Caribbean to embrace the “sun, sand and sea” that is popularly advertised as our main attraction. However, when mounds of seaweed accumulates upon our shores it serves as a deterrent tourists from visiting our islands. This in turn leads to economic ...

The Weed Invasion, Sargassum Edition Since 2011, the shores of Trinidad and Tobago has been plagued with the sargassum seaweed invasion and is seen as a nuisance to most citizens. However we can only reduce the sargassum influx if we know where it comes from. Where does it come from? Does it form along our shores, or is it transported from oceans apart? Map of the distribution of sargassum across the Atlantic Ocean, Photo: UWI, Mona Initially, it was believed that the sargassum seaweed seen in the Caribbean stemmed from the Sargasso Sea which is also called “The Golden Floating Rainforest” . This particular name was given to this region because of a reservoir of sargassum seaweed approximated to hold about 10 million metric tons. The enormous amount of seaweed accounts for the golden hue seen for miles across the Sargasso Sea. It was assumed that the currents of the Atlantic Ocean distributed the seaweed generously throughout the Caribbean. Are we sure this is ...