Since 2011 Caribbean and West African countries have suffered deposits of millions of tons of blooming Sargassum brown seaweeds, with 2023 being the worst year ever. Sargassum damage coralline communities, seagrass beds, and affect tourism and fishing, two major income-generating activities in Cabo Verde (CV). In addition, Ulva sp. is a green seaweed growing on rocks in the intertidal zone in CV that can occasionally accumulate in certain areas due to organic contamination of seashores. This project will also mitigate their impact through valorization of Sargassum and Ulva biomass as they have potential as feedstock for liquid bio-fertilizers, compost and mulch to support rural agricultural development by improving the quality of drought affected soils, stimulating crop production, and limiting reliance on traditional fertilizers. Ulva also has applications for human consumption and the cosmetics sector.
The project focuses on: a) provide strong foundations for monitoring the socio-environmental and biodiversity impact of Sargassum events; b) trigger new opportunities for women to diversify economic streams within their communities; c) pilot the implementation of the Sargassum management strategy in communities; and d) target municipalities for integration into the national natural resource management strategies.
Project lead organization: ECOCV
Period: October 2024-October 2026
Project collaborators: University of York, UniPiaget of Cabo Verde, INIDA, Municipality of São Domingos, Community and Agriculture Associations of Moia Moia, Fisher Association of Praia Baixo, Ekonatura, Private companies.