{"id":7161,"date":"2026-05-06T15:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caribbean-risks.org\/?p=7161"},"modified":"2026-05-06T15:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:04:43","slug":"sargassum-in-the-caribbean-understanding-the-crisis-and-adopting-the-right-habits-to-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caribbean-risks.org\/en\/sargassum-in-the-caribbean-understanding-the-crisis-and-adopting-the-right-habits-to-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Sargassum in the Caribbean: understanding the crisis and adopting the right habits to protect yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sargassum in the Caribbean: understanding the crisis and adopting the right habits to protect yourself<\/b><\/h1>\n

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Since 2011, massive amounts of brown seaweed have been washing ashore each year along Caribbean coastlines. This phenomenon, once unknown on such a scale, has become a major risk for public health, coastal ecosystems, and the region\u2019s island economies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2011<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Beginning of massive beaching events in the Caribbean<\/span><\/p>\n

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20 Mt<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Estimated amount of seaweed in the Atlantic in 2018 (record year)<\/span><\/p>\n

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8 850 km<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Length of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (2022-2023)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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48 H<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Time before toxic gas production after beaching<\/span><\/p>\n

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The history of sargassum in the Caribbean<\/h2>\n

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For centuries, sargassum has naturally populated a vast area of the North Atlantic known as the Sargasso Sea<\/strong>, off the coast of Florida. Christopher Columbus had already described it during his first voyage in 1492.<\/span><\/p>\n

These seaweeds play an important ecological role: they provide a unique habitat for many marine species, contribute to carbon capture, and serve as nurseries for species such as tuna and eel.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, since 2011, the situation has changed dramatically<\/strong>. Unprecedented quantities of sargassum have been washing up along the coasts of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf of Guinea.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why has sargassum become so abundant since 2011?<\/h2>\n

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Scientists have identified three main factors since 2025:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Climate change<\/b><\/h4>\n

Rising sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic create ideal conditions for sargassum growth. In November 2024, M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France Martinique reported an average sea surface temperature of 20.58\u00b0C, which is +0.46\u00b0C above the 1991-2020 average. Warmer waters allow sargassum to grow faster and for longer periods each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Excess nutrients in the ocean<\/b><\/h4>\n

Sargassum feeds on nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. These come largely from human activities (agriculture, deforestation, pollution) and are carried into the ocean, boosting seaweed growth in areas where it was previously rare.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Changes in ocean currents and trade winds<\/b><\/h4>\n

Recent changes in surface currents and winds have altered the movement of sargassum, carrying it from its natural habitat toward tropical regions and the Caribbean.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The impacts of sargassum in the Caribbean<\/h2>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

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Sargassum itself is not toxic to the touch. However, when it accumulates on land and decomposes, it releases gases that pose serious health risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Health risks: the 48-hour window<\/b><\/h4>\n

Within 24 to 48 hours after beaching, decomposing seaweed produces around thirty gases. Two are particularly harmful:<\/span><\/p>\n