Belize's Sargassum Solution

Belize's coastlines have been plagued by sargassum, a brown algae that floats in sometimes mile-long clumps and has 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 it have invaded the shores of Belize, threatening the country's tourism industry.

Sargassum is a free-floating seaweed-like algae that grows and propagates on top of the water using little air-filled berries so that it floats. While it has always been around, with Christopher Columbus even writing about the weed in his journal, the problem has escalated in recent years due to changes in currents and water temperatures caused by global warming, and the clearing of more forested land areas being replaced by heavily fertilized farmlands.

The government of Belize has teamed up with local hoteliers and islanders to create a task force to combat the problem. They are working on both short-term and long-term solutions, including manually collecting the sargassum out of the water and off the beaches, and installing barriers in the ocean to collect it before it hits the shore.

While the problem persists, there is hope. Seaweed season is quite infrequent and unpredictable, and there are days when you won't encounter any seaweed at all. Additionally, the seaweed mainly collects on the beach, so if you are into ocean sports such as snorkelling and scuba diving, you can still enjoy clear visibility and amazing reefs and marine life a little offshore.

The origins of sargassum

Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales of the Phaeophyceae class. It is characterised by its free-floating nature, never attaching to the seafloor. Instead, it grows and propagates on the water's surface using small air-filled "berries" that help it float.

Sargassum is distributed throughout the world's temperate and tropical oceans, generally inhabiting shallow waters and coral reefs. It is particularly abundant in the Sargasso Sea, which is bound by the Gulf Stream and the major Atlantic currents.

Sargassum is not a new phenomenon. Historical records of sargassum go back to the 15th century, with Columbus mentioning it in his "Relaciones y Cartas" in 1492. However, large blooms of sargassum have become more common in recent years, with the size of annual blooms in the Atlantic increasing by over a hundred-fold since 2011. This increase has been attributed to factors such as increased fertiliser runoff in major rivers and changes in water temperature due to global warming.

The negative impact of sargassum on tourism

Sargassum, a type of brown algae, has been wreaking havoc on the tourism industry in Belize and other Caribbean nations. The seaweed, which often washes up on beaches in large quantities, has a strong unpleasant odour and can make the water difficult to swim in. This is a major concern for beachside hotels and restaurants, which are at the forefront of dealing with the issue. Sargassum has been known to deter tourists from visiting, with many altering or cancelling their travel plans. This is a significant problem for Belize, where tourism is a driving force for the economy.

Firstly, the influx of Sargassum affects tourists' experiences by making beaches unpleasant to visit. The seaweed often washes up on beaches in large quantities, creating an eyesore and emitting a strong odour as it decomposes. This can ruin the aesthetic appeal of a beach and make the surrounding area smell unpleasant. In addition, Sargassum can make the water difficult to swim in, disrupting tourists' plans for water-based activities.

Secondly, the financial impact on the tourism industry is significant. Sargassum affects hotels, restaurants, and water-based recreational activities, all of which are vital components of Belize's tourism industry. The cost of removing and disposing of Sargassum can be high, and the labour required to do so is intensive. The clean-up efforts can also have negative consequences, such as removing sand from beaches and leaving them vulnerable to erosion.

The issue of Sargassum is not unique to Belize; it is a problem faced by many Caribbean nations and beyond. However, the impact on small countries like Belize, where tourism is a major source of income, is particularly detrimental.

While there have been some efforts to mitigate the impact of Sargassum, such as manual removal and the use of booms to deflect the seaweed, a long-term, sustainable solution is yet to be found. The problem is complex and requires collaboration between governments, local communities, and businesses to address it effectively.

The smell of sargassum

The stench of sargassum is a concern for Belize's tourism industry. The seaweed has a strong rotten egg smell, which is caused by the release of hydrogen sulfide gas as it decomposes. This gas is a broad-spectrum poison and can cause respiratory, skin and neurocognitive issues for those who come into close contact with it.

In 2018, there were 11,000 cases of suspected poisoning in Guadeloupe and Martinique, with patients experiencing heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, vertigo, headaches and skin rashes. While sargassum is not harmful in the water, once it starts to rot on the beach, it becomes a health hazard.

The proliferation of sargassum in this region is thought to be caused by an influx of fertilisers from the Amazon and Congo river basins, dust blown in from the Sahara Desert, and increased ocean surface temperatures.

The Mexican Navy has been tasked with dealing with the problem in the Yucatan, and Belize has also implemented measures to tackle the issue, including the formation of a Sargassum Task Force.

While the smell of sargassum is certainly unpleasant, it is important to note that it is not just a problem for Belize. The seaweed has impacted coastlines across the Caribbean, South America, and the US, with Florida's beaches also experiencing large quantities of sargassum in recent years.

The appearance of sargassum on beaches

Sargassum is a free-floating seaweed-like algae that grows and propagates on the water's surface using little air-filled "berries" to float. While sargassum is beneficial in small amounts (serving as a floating nursery for marine life), in large quantities, it becomes a problem. The seaweed has a strong rotten egg stench when it washes up on beaches and clogs shorelines.

Sargassum has been a problem throughout the Caribbean since 2015, with rising ocean temperatures escalating the issue. It mostly affects the eastern side of land masses, so in Belize, which is in the Western Caribbean, it can be bad on the mainland. If you visit some of the islands of Belize, you will find seaweed on the east side of the island and none on the west side.

The seaweed tends to appear more in the summer months and subsides in the winter when the oceans are cooler. According to the National Meteorological Service of Belize, there is a medium to high chance of more sargassum in 2022. The Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida has seen an increase of more than 100% of sargassum throughout the Caribbean in the last 6 months, and if conditions remain as predicted for the rest of 2022, the biomass can double in as little as 20 days.

The government of Belize has teamed up with local hoteliers and islanders to create a task force to combat the problem. They are developing a team of workers with rakes, wheelbarrows, and ATVs to collect the seaweed out of the water and off the beaches. The seaweed is then taken away by dump trucks and brought to landfill areas. Unfortunately, the constant digging and bulldozing are causing the sand to erode, so new sand has to be trucked in. Some resorts employ up to 30 people a day to deal with the issue.

A more permanent solution appears to be to collect the seaweed before it hits the shore, and barriers are being considered for installation in the ocean. From there, boats can collect the sargassum from the sea and place it on barges. Belize is unique in that it has a barrier reef just offshore that the sargassum must cross to enter the land. The reef has channels that slow down the seaweed, and the government is currently exploring the possibility of capturing the sargassum in those channels.

While sargassum can ruin a tropical vacation if you are expecting white sandy beaches, it is not all bad. It contains rich nutrients that sustain life for many marine creatures, and there is ongoing research on how to use this natural resource on land. Some businesses are turning the seaweed into animal feed, building materials, bioplastics, lotions, hair products, shakes, and jellies. Plus, there is research on how to use sargassum to produce methane for energy.

Methods of sargassum removal

Sargassum is a large brown seaweed that floats in island-like masses and never clings to the seafloor. It is usually beneficial in modest quantities as it serves as a floating nursery for marine life. However, in large quantities, it becomes a problem as it clogs shorelines and washes up on beaches.

• Collection and removal from near-coastal waters: Sargassum can be intercepted and prevented from reaching the shore by using barriers or nets. It is important to collect it directly from the water to prevent it from sinking and to minimise the removal of sand during the process.
• Collection and removal from beaches: It is best to remove the beached sargassum as quickly as possible to avoid accumulation and decomposition. Heavy machinery can be used for this process, but it is important to minimise the removal of sand and native vegetation.
• Disposal: The disposal of sargassum presents several challenges. It should be piled away out of sight from tourists or disposed of in landfills, which requires the use of heavy machinery and can lead to an increased risk of sand erosion. It is important to monitor air quality in disposal areas and test for metals, pesticides, or other pollutants as sargassum decomposition can release harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.
• Turning it into a resource: Some potential uses for sargassum include compost and fertiliser, biochar/charcoal briquettes, cement additive, livestock and fish food, nanostructure materials, pharmaceuticals, and food supplements. However, it is important to consider the capacity of sargassum to bioaccumulate metals, pesticides, and other pollutants.
• Using pumping systems: Pumping devices are one of the most efficient methods for clearing sargassum off beaches. Onshore pumping systems are cost-effective but may not be able to pump large volumes at once, while offshore systems are more suitable for removing larger volumes but have higher operational costs.

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