Trinidad and Tobago Welcomes Donation of Sargassum Equipment from the Government of Japan
On Tuesday 19 August 2025, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) proudly joined the official handover ceremony of sargassum equipment donated by His Excellency Dr. Akima Umezawa, Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan to the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government. The ceremony marked the official handover of keys to two specialised tractors, procured under the Project for Improving National Sargassum Management Capacities in the Caribbean. The aim of this Project, funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is to support and enhance national capacity for the management of sargassum influxes with the provision of...
Massive Sargassum Influx on Caribbean Shorelines linked to Climate Change: Hazard or Hope
By Dr. Rahanna Juman, Director (Ag.) and Wetlands Ecologist For yet another year, massive quantities of Sargassum are seen washing up along Caribbean coasts. This unprecedented, massive, episodic influxes of floating sargassum seaweed on coastlines was first observed in 2011 and has had significant negative impacts, particularly on coastal communities and livelihoods, public health, tourism and fisheries (UNEP 2021). This issue therefore represents an emerging hazard for a region that is already subject to numerous hazards and indeed, various countries in the Caribbean have declared national states of emergency with respect to sargassum influxes (Desrochers et al. 2020). This new source of sargassum is likely...
Another ‘Golden Tide’ on our Shorelines
By Rahanna Juman, Director (Ag.)Institute of Marine Affairs For yet another year, massive quantities of Sargassum are seen washing up along our coasts and is causing concerns among fishers and other beach users. This new source of sargassum is now linked to climate change and ocean eutrophication, and these are likely to continue supporting significant sargassum blooms into the future. As such, annual mass influxes of sargassum into the Caribbean Sea are now being considered as the 'new normal', requiring sustainable management responses and long-term adaptation (Desrochers et al. 2020). Pelagic (free-floating) sargassum, a brown alga from the equatorial Atlantic, comprises a mixture of two or...
Marine Macroalgae; Its Pivotal Role in Three Major Tropical Ecosystems
Algae are grouped into three major divisions based on pigmentation, (green, red and brown) and play key roles in the development and maintenance of marine ecosystems. ...
Sargassum – A Visitor to Our Beaches
While we are home, another visitor is washing up on our beaches, the Sargassum seaweed....
