Opportunities for valorisation of pelagic Sargassum in the Dutch Caribbean

This study was carried out by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (coordinator), Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen Economic Research and Wageningen Food Safety Research, and subsidised by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, in the context of Top Sector Agri-Food (project number LWV19070).

In this report we have reviewed the state-of-the-art of research on recent Sargassum blooms and influxes in the Caribbean with respect to biology, ecology, origin, distribution, socio-ecological impact and management options, in addition to existing valorisation chains and uses of Sargassum biomass, and environmental and socio-economic impacts of Sargassum valorisation. We conclude that value chains based on valorisation of nearshore Sargassum biomass into biofuel and agricultural products (i.e. fertilizer, animal feed supplement) seem the most promising for the Dutch Caribbean islands, since they will contribute to sustainable energy and food security, while reducing environmental impact of the energy and agricultural sector. Some of the identified management and valorisation strategies could also be applied to other areas that are affected by massive Sargassum influxes, such as the Gulf of Mexico.