Seaweed siege: Unravelling sargassum's effect on coastal livelihoods in the Dominican Republic

Fueled by a warming ocean, the aggressive proliferation of sargassum seaweed has turned an important ecological haven in the open seas into a destructive force inundating the coastline of the Dominican Republic. Now swaths of the Dominican Republic’s shores are covered by masses of rotting algae, disrupting local communities and industries that depend on a healthy ocean. But people are working to turn this crisis into an opportunity.

Image © Combine Harvester | Coastal communities collect and remove sargassum from the beaches in Punta Cana.

Oct 31, 2023

Image © Combine Harvester | Coastal communities collect and remove sargassum from the beaches in Punta Cana.

Sargassum gathers along pier barriers before reaching the shore. · Manuel Jean-Francois

Sargassum provides a habitat for numerous marine species, including the loggerhead turtle.

A fisherman fixing his nets on La Playita Beach. · Tommy E Trenchard

SOS Carbon harvests sargassum before it reaches the shore. · SOS Carbon

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