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University of the West Indies – Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies

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Project Overview

Adapting to a New Reality: Managing Responses to Influxes of Sargassum Seaweed in the Eastern Caribbean as Ecosystem Hazards and Opportunities (SargAdapt)

Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

DurationDecember 2019 – June 2023
Total Project BudgetUSD 1,296,093.00
EbA Facility GrantUSD 981,393.00
Co-financingUSD 314,700.00
Since 2011, large pelagic sargassum influxes driven by climate change and ocean eutrophication have damaged Caribbean marine ecosystems, public health, and coastal livelihoods. The SargAdapt project supported 10 coastal communities across five Eastern Caribbean countries to manage and adapt to these influxes. It strengthened knowledge, community capacity, regional collaboration, forecasting, and livelihood-based uses of sargassum while demonstrating approaches that could be replicated in other Caribbean initiatives.

Key Objectives

  • Improve access to practical knowledge on sargassum monitoring, safe removal, management, and sustainable use
  • Strengthen the capacity of coastal communities and institutions to respond to recurring sargassum influxes
  • Establish regional networks and partnerships for sustained collaboration and self-organization
  • Develop forecasting, communication, and livelihood-based Sargassum-Smart initiatives

Ecosystem Focus

Coastal and marine ecosystems affected by sargassum influxes, including beaches, nearshore waters, and associated coastal habitats.

Communities Involved

This project was implemented in the following communities and project areas:
  • 10 coastal communities across Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Implementing Organizations

Lead Organization: Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus (UWI-CERMES)

UWI-CERMES led the regional SargAdapt project, coordinating research, forecasting, stakeholder engagement, training, knowledge production, and community-based responses to sargassum across five countries.

Project Partners

  • Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
  • University of North Carolina Wilmington
  • St. George’s University, Grenada
  • Marine Spatial Information Solutions

Website

https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes/

Project Fact Sheet

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