Tag: Sargassum seaweed
Cabinet OKs ‘damaging’ East End shoreline project
(CNS): Cabinet has granted a coastal works licence for a groyne and the excavation of swim areas along the beachfront of the Wyndham Reef Resort in East End despite clear recommendations from the Department of Environment several years ago that the application should be denied because of the potential damage to the marine environment and […]
New horror revealed in sargassum blob
(CNS): Scientists have discovered that a flesh-eating bacteria is interacting with sargassum and decaying plastic in the ocean, creating the perfect “pathogen” storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have found that the bacteria might be adapting to plastic and living in sargassum, washing up on […]
No easy fixes for giant sargassum ‘blob’
(CNS): Dubbed the ‘great blob’, the ever-increasing sargassum belt that circulates in the Atlantic has grown to more than 5,500 miles across and is currently moving through our region. Government officials are warning that the belt is likely to wash ashore in the Cayman Islands again this year. But there is no easy fix. Officials […]
Sargassum trial stalled as seaweed decomposes
(CNS): The trial to remove the massive influx of sargassum stranded in the North Sound using a pumping system has come to an abrupt end after just a few days because the level of decomposition of the seaweed made continued removal efforts impractical, according to the Department of Environment.
Pumping trial starts on sargassum in North Sound
(CNS): The Department of Environment’s sargassum clean-up trial will continue throughout this week, officials have said. Garvin Park, which is the base for the pilot operation, will remain closed until Thursday to give the contractors time to pump out a significant amount of the floating seaweed, which has been trapped in the North Sound for […]
Sargassum removal trial planned in North Sound
(CNS): There is no easy way of addressing the major influx of sargassum into the North Sound, Premier Wayne Panton said Thursday. Nevertheless, resources have been mobilised for a trial to pump out the invasive seaweed and reduce the impact it is having on the marine life and businesses operating in and around the area.
Sargassum presents challenge for environment and tourism
(CNS): An unprecedented amount of Sargassum that invaded the North Sound on Saturday is presenting a significant challenge for the Cayman Islands as the country tries to rebuild its tourism business two and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic closed its borders. However, it is also a major environmental threat. Staff from the Department […]
Scientists predict record year for sargassum
(CNS): Large quantities of sargassum washed up on the shores of the Cayman Islands this weekend, just days after scientists from the USF College of Marine Science published their work tracking this year’s blooms using NASA satellite imagery. The researchers said they are detecting record-high amounts in the Caribbean, central west Atlantic and the Gulf […]
DoE predicts bad year for sargassum
(CNS): The troublesome seaweed that has plagued Caribbean beaches for several years now is back in Cayman and the Department of Environment predicts that this could be another very bad year for sargassum on the local shoreline. Last year government invested significant public cash into trying to keep beaches clean without eroding them and created […]
Man and machine clean up sargassum
(CNS): A combination of specialist machinery and a group of workers has had a significant impact in the battle against sargassum seaweed on local beaches. A small crew of six people on the extended National Community Enhancement Project (NiCE) cleaned up the coastline at the South Sound ramp and board walk, the Frank Sound ramp, […]
Scientists research sargassum from Cayman to Florida
(CNS): University of Miami researchers are investigating everything about sargassum, from its movement to its chemical composition. They are looking for differences in the seaweed washing up on Florida’s beaches and the samples that washed up here on Grand Cayman. Sargassum has been sent to Miami from all over the Caribbean, where it is being […]
