Guys, is the seaweed tide affecting the north coast?

Certainly not a problem here in the Sosua/Cabarete area.  Ocean in this week was calm and crystal clear with no seaweed at all.

Bob K

Playa Caribe was full of it and completely empty of people. Went to Juan Dolio and almost same thing...

Not good for tourism that is for sure


Bob K

I was reading some interesting sources today and the unusual proliferation of the seaweed is due to the global warming and the pollution coming from nitrates and phosphates discharged into the Amazon waters, that joins after the Atlantic currents in the river's mouth.

I have seen that theory as well.

Off to a beautiful, clear Sosua beach tomorrow

Bob K

Yes it is.
The sargaso or whatever name it is, is slowly headed west from
Nagua, where I first noticed it about a year ago. A couple
of months ago I noticed it here in Cabrera. It is in
clumps from a few feet wide & 2-4 yards long to
10 feet wide & 30-40 yards long.
Or it could just be heading west from way out in the Atlantic.
I'm sure it will be a problem somewhere.

Well still not here.  Beautiful crystal clear water today at the beach in Sosua

Bob K

Well Bob, it's coming sometime for sure.
Haven't seen any in a couple of weeks.
At least from Manny's Bar on the Malecon.

Well I certainly hope the currents keep it away!

Bob K

That & the wind is what brings it in.

Right I am looking for currents off shore that steer it away!

Bob K

From The Weather Channel.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 11:15 AM -    Vacationers flock to the Caribbean Islands all year round -- seeking to enjoy crystalline blue water, warm breezes and pristine white-sand beaches.

But the sights and smells of seaweed-choked shorelines are sending visitors running from the water's edge.

While there is nothing unusual about a little seaweed on the sand, overwhelming quantities of pungent brown sargassum seaweed are invading coastal regions of a number of popular destinations, including Mexico and several Caribbean islands.

Visitors to the region have been forced to change plans or cancel their trips altogether to avoid a vacation ruined by the foul-smelling vegetation, a problem that has grown increasingly worse over the past few months.

Sargassum is a type of seaweed that comes from the Sargasso Sea found in an area of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is a nursery habitat for sea turtles and is also home to a number of small marine creatures. But once the seaweed reaches shore, the living beings inside die and rot on land.

Factor in typical summer temperatures in the 30°C range and that's one stinky beach. The seaweed smells just as bad as it looks, described as having a distinct aroma reminiscent of rotten eggs.

Beyond the sight and smell, the seaweed is also a breeding ground for sand fleas.

Warming ocean temperatures could be a cause for the abundance of sargassum washing up this year.

Authorities have been trying to keep on top of the stinking piles, some up to 3 metres high, that keep washing in with the tide. Some countries have resorted to emergency funds in an effort to free the shore of sargassum, before the busiest tourist period picks up in the fall.

But tourism is sure to be affected as word of the stinky seaweed goes viral.

It's really sad. Good thing it's not affecting all areas of the Island yet. It all depends of the ocean currents and the location of the coastline. I could post some photos I took last weekend, but this site is quite outdated.

The blame everything on global warming.  I have a pain in my @!@#@#. I think global warming caused it. JAJAJAJAJAJA

Yep it is all Global warning and remember you were warned about it  by the guy who invented the internet and could not even carry his own state in a presidential election

Bob K

The only thing Gore invented is a lot of BS.

Actually he did not invent that either but certainly knew how to dish it out

Bob K

The South Coast as most of the Carribean have this problem with the invasion of sargassum!

A new possibility:  it could possibly become a source of revenue and change the "plastic manufacturing industry" forever.

The first synthetic plastic started in 1907 based on a synthetic polymer made from phenol and formaldehyde.  Our everyday life has been transformed by this very invention mostly derived from petrochemicals.  Its applications never cease to amaze.  From polyester fibers and textiles to food packaging; high impact polystyrene; polyimide for high temperature plastics, low friction coating and heat resistant polytetrafuerosthylene (Teflon).  Who would have imagined a 3D printer a few years ago, being able to fabricate plastic goods. 

Being involved in the marketing and distribution of modular screw conveyor made of polymer material developed by a French company called Archimedys, I continue to be amazed as to its applications.  A sectional screw of any length that you can put together like a Lego with amazing strengths and usages!  Imagine the number of industries deserved: a bio compost screw, a screw for grapes separation from leaves, calcium chlorine and starch conveyors, cheese and vegetables conveyor and even a confetti conveyor.  Who would have imagined that Archimede' s invention would have such profound applications.

The benefits of plastics are unmatched and our obsession is ruining the planet with enormous toxicity and its long term durability becomes a very negative effect on the entire planet.

In the Dominican Republic recycling is almost nonexistent and as the director of development for a Country Club in Juan Dolio, my efforts to set up a recycling plan seems insignificant compared to the size of the problem in the country; dead fauna and filth as a consequence.  It is not very pleasing to see the plastic trash everywhere on an island where tourism is one of the main industries.  And now, to make things even worse we are invaded by seaweed called sargassum, clogging our beaches. 

Observing firsthand the invasion of sargassum on my favorite beach in the village of Juan Dolio, I became interested in this phenomenon. The local government alarmed by the potential effect on its essential tourism industry decided to use the local population to gather the seaweed and burry it in the sand. Obviously not the solution given the huge amounts of sargassum visible on its way to the shore line.

To my amazement, looking into this problem on the web, I saw an article by a Canadian research team, studying NASA satellite images who observed that this sargassum does not come from the "sargassum sea" in the Atlantic, as previously believed, but rather from the Brazilian coast, it's growth due in part from chemical fertilizers used along the Amazon river.   Not necessary to speak of the dangers and problems attributed with this. 

Sargassum  may be seen as a plague by the tourism industry, but it may soon become a source of revenue and a surprising solution, using the sargassum as a cheaper natural organic fertilizer.  However, to my total amazement, I also found a possible application for this seaweed:  the manufacture of a bio-degradable plastic.

Far from science fiction, a company called Algopack is now processing brown seaweed to make plastic pellets used in the fabrication of bio-degradable plastic items in its factory located in North Western France.  One French company called Europlastiques is now successfully using these pellets and as you can imagine, finding dozens of applications.  The great thing is that these fabricated items can easily be dissolved in water in a few hours and transform themselves back into a fertilizer.

Sargassum is becoming a major issue in the Gulf coast and the Caribbean.  I would imagine that local governments may be interested in inquiring from Mr. Lucas, owner of Algopack, whether such factory set up alongside beach areas may be a viable option.  Save the tourism, develop an industry....The World Bank ought to be interested in financing such a project !