Abstract

Since 2018, episodic influxes of sargassum has significantly impacted the coastal ecosystems, tourism industry, and local economy of the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire. This extended abstract discusses the efforts undertaken by STINAPA (Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire) in collaboration with local partners, government agencies, and external researchers to develop and implement a comprehensive Sargassum Response Plan. Large influxes of sargassum can smother flora and fauna along the shoreline (Rodríguez-Martínez, 2019), hypoxia events and reduced water quality can lead to mass die off adjacent seagrass and mangrove beds (van Tussenbroek et al, 2017) and improper removal of sargassum can lead to high sand loss from beaches (Hinds et al, 2016). These impacts are felt most severely within Bonaire’s bays, namely Lac Bay, which provides important foraging grounds for protected species such as sea turtles and queen conch and host a wide variety of habitat types including sandy beaches, seagrass beds, a mangrove forest and a fringing coral reef. Lac Bay's economic importance for tourism, offering activities such as wind surfing, kayaking, and snorkeling as well as the presence of adjacent restaurants and hotels, further underscores the urgency to address this sargassum issue.

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