Huge influx of Sargassum on Bonaire east coast
Huge influx of Sargassum on Bonaire east coast – clean up at Sorobon tomorrow
Since yesterday, there is a huge invasion of sargassum weed at the east coast. Sorobon, Lagun are the most affected areas for now. However, due to days of severe storms up north in the Caribbean earlier, we expect more sargassum to drift towards us in the daysahead.
Sargassum is a brown algae that makes up the floating sea weed mats known as the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In the open ocean, these floating mats are extremely diverse, providing important habitat for over 250 species of fish and invertebrates, many of which are not found anywhere else. Sometime a piece of the mat breaks off and travels to the Caribbean where it ends up on our shorelines.
Once the sargassum hits the shore, it either washes up, or accumulates, sinks and rots. When it rots, all of the oxygen gets used up and hydrogen sulfide forms, both of which cause massive die-offs of marine life. A lot of baby turtles,lobsters and fish may be killed as a result of this. We need help in order to free any live trapped creatures (e.g. sea turtles, hatchlings, eels and other fishes and invertebrates).
Tomorrow morning from 9am, STINAPA, OLB and volunteers will continue to clean up at Sorobon. We need all the help we can get!
Please show up at Sorobon tomorrow morning with gloves and a bucket or container for collecting the marine creatures. People with shovels rakes and wheelbarrows are very welcome to help get rid of the seaweed in the water and along the coast..
Anouschka van de Ven
Communications Coordinator
STINAPA Bonaire
Barcadera z/n
Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
T: +599 - 717 8444
