Belize's Battle Against Sargassum Bloom: Impact And Strategies

Sargassum is a free-floating seaweed-like algae that has been impacting the coastlines of Belize and other countries in the Caribbean Sea. It is known for its unpleasant smell and has been a nuisance for locals and tourists alike. While it is integral to the homes of marine life, the piles of Sargassum that have been washing up on the shores of Belize have caused a blow to the country's tourism industry.

The origin of the seaweed is still uncertain, but it is believed to have come from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. However, recent studies suggest that it may be coming from the coasts of Brazil, pushed by currents into the Caribbean.

The Belize Tourism Board, in conjunction with the Sargassum Task Force, has implemented various measures to combat the issue, including tax relief for coastal hotels, duty exemptions for tourism businesses importing equipment for sargassum cleaning, and financial support for municipalities in beach clean-up efforts.

The influx of Sargassum is a pressing issue for Belize, and the government, local communities, and tourism providers are working together to address it.

Sargassum's impact on Belize's tourism industry

Sargassum is a free-floating seaweed-like algae that has been impacting Belize's coastlines and tourism industry. The seaweed is integral to marine life, but in recent years, large amounts have been washing up on Belize's shores, causing a blow to the country's tourism industry, which is a driving force in Belize's economy. The seaweed has a strong "rotten egg" stench when it washes up on the beach and decomposes, and it can clog the shoreline and water, making it difficult for tourists to swim in the sea. It also attracts bugs and can kill local fish along the shore.

The problem is not unique to Belize, and other countries in the Caribbean, South America, and the US are also affected. However, it is a pressing issue for Belize's coastal towns and tourism destinations such as San Pedro, Hopkins, and Placencia.

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has put together a resource to help visitors, locals, stakeholders, and municipalities deal with the issue. The BTB has provided tax relief to coastal hotels and supported duty exemptions for tourism businesses importing equipment and technology to support sargassum cleaning efforts. The government has also provided funding for municipalities to carry out beach clean-up operations.

Other measures to combat the issue include:

• Using manpower to remove sargassum with rakes, pitchforks, wheelbarrows, and ATVs.
• Forming the Sargassum Task Force, comprising government ministries, departments, and stakeholders from the private and public sectors.
• Developing a local forecasting mechanism with the Meteorological Service to support weekly and daily sargassum forecasts.
• Spreading awareness on best practices for sargassum management through resources, press releases, and social media.
• Installing booms (containment barriers) to deflect the algae away from the shores.

Despite these efforts, the influx of sargassum continues to impact Belize's tourism industry, and more solutions are needed to address the problem effectively.

Sargassum's origin

The origin of the sargassum bloom is a complex and multifaceted issue that is yet to be fully understood. However, there are several factors and potential sources that have been identified.

One of the primary suspected sources of the sargassum bloom is the Sargasso Sea, a region in the North Atlantic Ocean characterised by its vast mats of sargassum, which acts as a critical habitat for various marine species. The Sargasso Sea, named after the algae, has historically been associated with sargassum, and it was initially believed to be the origin of the blooms impacting the Caribbean and other regions.

However, recent studies have suggested that the sargassum inundating coastal areas may have a different source. Satellite imagery has revealed that the sargassum is blooming in other areas, such as off the coast of Brazil and stretching towards Africa, propelled by ocean currents. This discovery has led researchers to believe that the Sargasso Sea might not be the sole source of the inundating sargassum.

In addition to the Sargasso Sea and the blooms off the coast of Brazil, other potential sources of the sargassum have been proposed. One notable theory suggests that the increased nutrient output from major rivers, such as the Amazon, Congo, and Mississippi, is contributing to the growth of sargassum. Agricultural runoff, including fertilisers and wastewater, has led to higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in these rivers, which act as fertilisers for the algae. The excess nutrients promote the growth of sargassum, resulting in larger and more frequent blooms.

Furthermore, upwelling currents off the coast of West Africa have also been implicated in the sargassum blooms. These currents bring nutrient-rich waters to the surface, providing favourable conditions for the growth of sargassum. The combination of strong upwelling and nutrient-rich waters from the Amazon River can create optimal conditions for the algae to thrive.

While the exact origin of the sargassum blooms remains a subject of ongoing research, it is clear that human activities play a significant role in this phenomenon. Changes in land use, such as deforestation and agricultural practices, contribute to increased nutrient runoff into the oceans. Warmer water temperatures due to climate change also create an environment conducive to sargassum growth.

The complex interplay of these factors makes it challenging to pinpoint a single source for the sargassum blooms. However, by understanding the various potential sources and their interactions, scientists and researchers can develop strategies to mitigate the impacts of these blooms on coastal communities and the tourism industry.

Sargassum's effects on human health

Sargassum is a brown algae that floats in sometimes mile-long clumps, accompanied by a very unpleasant 'rotten egg' stench when washed on the beach. While sargassum is integral to the homes of marine life, in recent years, piles of sargassum have invaded the shores of Belize, causing a strong blow to the country's tourism industry.

Sargassum is not known to be extremely harmful to humans, but the smell it emits as it decomposes is a nuisance. The gases it emits as it rots have been proven to be hazardous to human health. The decomposition of beached sargassum begins 48 hours after washing up, during which it releases hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas and ammonia. H2S is a broad-spectrum poison that smells of rotten eggs.

Breathing in these toxic gases may cause respiratory, skin, and neurocognitive symptoms in people who come into close contact with degrading sargassum. In 2018, in Guadeloupe and Martinique, there were 11,000 cases of suspected poisoning reported. Patients complained of heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, vertigo, headaches, and skin rashes.

In the water, sargassum is harmless to humans, but once it lands on the beach and starts to decompose, it can cause skin irritation. One island resident shared that every time she's near the beach, she starts coughing and feeling bad. "My eyes get irritated, and I even get a slight headache," she said.

The effects of inhaling low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (10 ppm or less) include burning eyes, coughing, and shortness of breath. Repeated or prolonged exposure at low concentration levels can cause eye inflammation, headaches, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia. Exposure to moderate concentration levels of hydrogen sulfide can result in severe eye irritation, severe respiratory irritation (coughing, difficulty breathing, and fluid in the lungs), headaches, nausea, vomiting, and imbalance. Effects of exposure to high levels (100 ppm or higher) of hydrogen sulfide can be serious and life-threatening, with effects including shock, convulsions, inability to breathe, rapid unconsciousness, coma, and even death.

The groups at risk of developing these symptoms are asthma patients, elderly people, babies, and pregnant women. Certain animals, especially dogs, are also sensitive to the inhalation of hydrogen sulfide.

Avoiding exposure to sargassum is the most important preventive measure. The peak sargassum season in the Caribbean is from January to April. If beaches are covered with brown seaweed, travelers should not walk on the beach, especially if there is a smell of rotten eggs in the air.

Sargassum's effects on marine life

Sargassum is a genus of large brown seaweed that floats in island-like masses and never attaches to the seafloor. It is abundant in the ocean and provides food, refuge, and breeding grounds for an array of animals such as fish, sea turtles, marine birds, crabs, shrimp, and more. Some animals, like the sargassum fish, live their whole lives only in this habitat.

Sargassum is integral to the homes of marine life, but in recent years, piles of sargassum have invaded the shores of Belize, causing a strong blow to one of the country's biggest flows of income: tourism. The seaweed's unpleasant smell, coupled with the piles washing up onshore, are a direct threat to the industry.

Sargassum can negatively impact aquatic life and coastal marine ecosystems. Its deposition and decomposition result in poor water quality, which can lead to localized reductions in light availability, dissolved oxygen, and increased water temperatures. This can negatively impact seagrasses and corals, reducing the availability of food and habitats for other aquatic species.

The decomposition of sargassum in nearshore coastal waters can also lead to animal deaths. For instance, in 2015, Tobago declared a natural disaster due to the smell of decomposing sargassum and the associated dead fish and turtles. In 2018, the decay of an extensive sargassum influx along the Mexican Caribbean coast was linked to a massive die-off event that included a combination of 78 animal species, mainly benthic organisms and fishes.

Furthermore, sargassum can affect sea turtles by blocking their access to beaches to lay their eggs and impeding hatchlings from reaching the ocean. It can also impede the warming of nests by direct sunlight, causing a shift in the sex ratios of hatchlings towards more males.

Overall, while sargassum provides a habitat for many marine animals, its excessive influx and decomposition can have detrimental impacts on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems.

Efforts to combat Sargassum in Belize

Sargassum is a concern shared among Belize's regional countries and it has been plaguing coastlines and tourism. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has put together resources for all visitors, locals, stakeholders, and municipalities to refer to when dealing with sargassum.

The BTB, along with the Sargassum Task Force (STF), has implemented various measures to tackle the issue:

• A 2% tax relief credit for coastal hotels in 2018-2019.
• Duty exemptions for tourism businesses importing equipment, materials, or technology to support sargassum cleaning efforts.
• $1.5 million provided through the BTB for municipalities' beach clean-up efforts.
• Formation of the STF, comprising key stakeholders from the private and public sectors.
• Municipal Relief Support for containment, collection, and disposal of sargassum at five destinations: San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Hopkins, Seine Bight, and Placencia.
• Awareness campaigns on social media to inform tourists and stakeholders about the issue and best practices for disposal.
• Development of a local forecasting mechanism with the Meteorological Service for weekly and daily sargassum forecasts.
• Installation of booms (containment barriers) to help deflect and funnel sargassum away from the shores.
• Spreading awareness on best practices for sargassum management through resources, press releases, and social media.

Additionally, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has hired more people to remove sargassum from affected areas and is encouraging stakeholders and residents to help keep the beaches clean. The SPTC has also built a temporary sargassum barrier to guide the sargassum to designated areas for easier removal.

The STF is working towards finding a more permanent solution, such as barriers to protect the shoreline and tourism industry. Mexico has also mobilized its Navy to collect the algae before it reaches the shore.

Other potential solutions being explored include turning sargassum into animal feed, bioplastics, lotions, and building materials. However, these solutions require time and resources, which are in short supply, especially in countries hit hard by the pandemic.

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