Smelly seaweed: could Sargassum fuel the future?

In recent years, many Caribbean countries have experienced a staggering influx of sargassum, a type of nuisance seaweed emanating from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. Beyond just its potent smell, sargassum seaweed is wreaking havoc on coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism infrastructure. In this episode, Emily and Matt ask where it has come from, why it has become such a problem and what this means for climate change. They also discuss exciting new technologies from small island nations which, in a bid for a more sustainable future, could see sargassum recycled and redeployed across the globe. 

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director & Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director & Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Olivia Losbar | Journalist at Radio Caraïbe International (RCI) Guadeloupe
• Emma Tompkins | Professor of Environment, Geography and Development at the University of Southampton
• Legena Henry | Lecturer in Renewable Energy at the University of the West Indies and CEO of Rum and Sargassum Inc.

Resources:

• Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• 2nd EU-Caribbean Gateway Conference on Sargassum
• How sargassum causes chaos in the Caribbean
• Professor Emma Tompkins
• Sustainable Sargassum Management
• Rum and Sargassum Inc.
• Sargassum as an alternative transportation fuel

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