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Sargassum increases on Cayman shores
Joining us now is Lauren Dombowsky, Manager of the Environmental Management Unit. She is here to talk to us today about all things sargassum.
| 00:03:34
Cayman Compass
Record-breaking sargassum influx begins to hit Cayman
After two years of relatively small amounts of sargassum seaweed washing ashore along Caribbean beaches, scientists say 2025 is on track to be a record-breaking year for the brown algae.
The University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Laboratory, which uses satellite imagery to track the sargassum, found “a new record” for total sargassum masses at the end of April. The amount surpassed the all-time high recorded in June 2022, which led to businesses in Cayman’s eastern districts reporting feeling “under siege” by the seaweed.
This year, at Morritt’s resort in East End, maintenance manager Franklin Ebanks said they were already seeing the impact.
“We started to see the mats of sargassum come ashore in East End on Wednesday, 14 May,” he said, adding that the resort has a seaweed removal programme to keep beaches clean and avoid sand loss.
