Massive arrival of sargassum (Sargassum natans) into Costa Rica’s South Caribbean shore during 2022.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25268/bimc.invemar.2023.52.2.1222Keywords:
climate change, tourism, artisanal fishing, cahuita, eutrophicationAbstract
At the beginning of March 2022, there was a massive arrival event of sargassum (Sargassum natans) at different beaches in the South Caribbean of Costa Rica. Although the presence of this brown algae is not rare on the Caribbean coast of the country, the magnitude of the accumulated material is unusual. Puerto Viejo was the most affected area, accumulating up to 676.34 m3 of material in 100m of beach. The sargassum especially affected artisanal fishermen who had difficulty taking their boats to the sea and tour operators who saw the aesthetics of the beaches affected. The massive arrival of sargassum in the Greater Caribbean is already affecting the ways of life of different countries. In Costa Rica, it is a recent event that has the potential to affect the Caribbean coast environmentally and socio-economically. The articulation of institutions and civil society is necessary for monitoring and provide early warnings of future events.
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