Abstract

Countries of the Wider Caribbean continue to grapple with the impacts of sargassum influxes. The influxes consistently cause serious social-ecological and economic problems, particularly in the fisheries and tourism sectors. Sargassum management in the Caribbean is a complex and evolving challenge, requiring comprehensive and coordinated approaches, combining scientific research, policy interventions, and engagement of diverse stakeholders at multiple levels of governance. To develop increased capacity to cope and adapt to sargassum influxes, the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) launched the Adapting to a new reality: Managing responses to influxes of sargassum seaweed in the Eastern Caribbean as ecosystem hazards and opportunities (SargAdapt) Project in 2019. The ultimate goal of SargAdapt was to mitigate the impacts of these influxes and enhance adaptation in the Eastern Caribbean with a particular focus on transforming this climate-related ecological challenge into an asset that fosters socio-economic opportunities. Led by the University of the West Indies (UWI) - Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), the project was executed in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines between 2019 and 2023. SargAdapt presented a comprehensive approach that combined scientific research, adaptive planning, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders at various levels of governance. Over the past four years SargAdapt communicated sargassum science as it unfolded, filled knowledge gaps and provided guidance for better management. Many lessons emerged that can be applied and/or adapted to locations in the eastern and western Atlantic impacted by sargassum. This abstract captures some key lessons from SargAdapt on the importance of baseline data, emerging opportunities and challenges of valorising sargassum, institutional strengthening, measuring the impacts of sargassum removal methods, and science communication.