The Sargassum Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

En este episodio tenemos a Kevin Gómez y Quira Michel, ambos de 22 años, estudian Biología Marina en la Universidad de Panamá y están investigando el impacto del Sargazo en La Costa Arriba de Colón, una región turística y pesquera de Panamá. Su objetivo es demostrar cómo esta alga puede ser aprovechada de manera beneficiosa, contribuyendo así a la preservación de los ecosistemas marinos. Su investigación es la primera de este tipo en Panamá y busca destacar las posibilidades positivas del Sargazo más allá de sus problemas en el Caribe.

2:00 Introduciendo a Chira y Kevin

4:30 Qué es el Sargazo para Kevin

5:35 Qué es el Sargazo para Qhira

6:45 Descripción e importancia de la región de Colon en Panamá

9:50 ¿Cómo puede esta macroalga impactar las comunidades costeras del Caribe de Panamá?

12:00 Situación actual de los arribazones de Sargazo

13:55 Integración de otras partes en esta problemática

16:55 Objetivos del trabajo de investigación con Sargazo en Panamá

20:20 Como es un día de trabajo de campo para Quira y Kevin y los retos de hacerlo

24:10 Especies de Sargazo arribando

29:10 Estado actual de las cantidades de Sargazo arribando en la costa de Colón

36:25 Resultados preliminares de los arribazones de Sargazo y la variabilidad entre las playas en Panamá

40:00 Resultados más impactante que han tenido hasta ahora

44:03 Plan de acción y como están enfrentando las personas de las comunidades la llegada de Sargazo

46:40¿Cuáles son las aplicaciones más prometedoras que ustedes observan para el sargazo y qué desafíos podrían enfrentar?

51:11 Fun part; que super poder tendrían Quira y Kevin para solucionar la llegada masiva de Sargazo

58:00 últimos comentarios de Zara y Evelyn

Este podcast es posible gracias al apoyo financiero de la subvención del Título 6 del Centro Latinoamericano Caribeño Kimberly Green (LACC). Este podcast está producido por Mario García Rodríguez y sus anfitriones de hoy fueron Evelyn Salas y Zara Guifarro

Links relevantes:

Kevin Gómez: https://www.instagram.com/kego03/?hl=es-la

Quira Michel: https://www.instagram.com/quira_28/?hl=es-la

In this episode we speak with Tyann Henry, who has been the Environmental Officer for the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources in the Turks and Caicos Islands since 2021, having previously held the same position for three years with the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources. During her career, Ms Henry has also worked at the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago, where she spent seven years working on age and growth research in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Programme. She holds a Master's degree in Integrated Coastal and Marine Management from the University of Trinidad and Tobago and a Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology from the University of the West Indies.

02:35 Introducing our guest

04:40 What does Sargassum mean to Tyann?

05:55 How is the TCI affected by Sargassum?

08:40 Monitoring Sargassum beachings in the Turks and Caicos Islands

11:20 How are South Caicos and Grand Turk affected by sargassum?

14:10 Sargassum management policy in the Caicos Islands

17:10 What is the process for writing a new policy like this?

18:15 What is the biggest challenge for small island governments in dealing with Sargassum?

22:40 Jenna and Fran's reflections on the episode

Relevant quote: How is the TCI affected by Sargassum: it has increased the risk of killing marine life and we rely heavily on our fisheries sector and marine ecosystems.

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible by funding from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity (RESEMBID) programme. RESEMBID is funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme and is implemented by Expertise France, with the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories as the main stakeholders.

Relevant links:

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyann-henry-34493941/

In this episode, we delve into the current situation of Sargassum and its impact on Curaçao. Our guest, Luisa Flechas, a chemical engineer and business developer at the TNO Energy and Materials Transition Unit, shares her insights and involvement in the TNO Living Lab project, which aims to continue with a proposal to continue working with all the challenges with Sargassum.

01:34 Current situation of Sargassum by Fran

03:00  introducing our guest Luisa Flecha

04:10 What is Sargasso for Luisa

06:00 The involvement of TNO finding solutions to the Sargassum problem

07:07 How Luisa is contribute to Sargassum work

08:45 Luisas role on working in Curaçao

10:00 Stages of the project

13:25 Changing to biofuel in Curacao

15:44 Thoughts of Luisa of how Sargassum is affecting Curaçao

18:13 Next steps

22:00 Thoughts about the episode by Fran and Jenna

Relevant links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lflechas/

TNO:

Website: https://www.tno.nl/en/

Fb: https://www.facebook.com/TNOresearch/

Twitter https://twitter.com/TNO_nieuws

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tno.innovation/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tno/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/TNOResearch

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories.

In this episode, Vicky, an aquatic ecologist, and Philip, a marine science researcher, discuss the current situation of Sargassum in Ghana and its impact on people's lives, exploring the impact of Sargassum on both ecosystems and society, and offering their different research perspectives and approaches.

05:40: What is Sargassum for Vicky

06:55  What is Sargassum for Phillip

07:30 Phillip explaining the current situation with Sargassum in Ghana

10:20 The impacts on people's lives in Ghana

11:52 VIcky expanding the perceptions of Sargassum for people in Ghana

13:12  Recreational and cultural role of beaches in Ghana

14:35 The impacts on fisheries in Ghana

16:45 How does this modify the dynamic of fishery

17:20 What SARTRAC is?

21:30 The involvement of local people in SARTRAC

23:48 The future steps/goals for SARTRAC

28:10 GIS and citizen science to monitor Sargassum

30:15 Stable isotopes and Sargassum

35:45 Working with the community's actions

37:20 Thoughts about the episode by Fran and Jenna

This podcast is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Title 6 grant from the Kimberly Green Latin American Caribbean Center (LACC). This podcast is produced by Mario Garcia Rodriguez and your hosts today were Fran and Jenna

In todays episode: Sabine and Jessica talk about the dynamic of the work in Bonaire, the importance of this area and how Sargassum are affecting its Marine Ecosystems Sabine Engel, raised on Curaçao, studied marine biology in Utrecht. Settled in Bonaire, she researches reefs and restores mangroves with STINAPA and Mangrove Maniacs. Jessica Johnson, from the US, shifted from Engineering to conservation. With a Master's from Universidade do Algarve, she directs Coastal Dynamics in Bonaire, focusing on seagrass and mangrove restoration.

03:50 Fran introducing our guests

05:47 What is Sargassum for Sabine

06:30 What is Sargassum for Jessica 

08:00 How Bonaire is impacted by Sargassum

10:36 The management evolved since the arrival of Sargassum in Bonaire and people through citizen science got involved

13:23 How does the Sargassum influx affect Lac Bay? 

15:13 Lac Bay is a very  culturally important 

16:55 When Sargassum enters, the mangrove starts to slowly die

19:11 How the net to capture Sargassum works 

21:10 The origin of the Sargassum that arrives in Bonaire 

22:00 An important concern: the Sargassum that arrives is enriched in heavy metals 

23:00 The Morphotypes and composition that arrive 

25:50 How the seagrass is affected by Sargassum

28:55 The work of the mangrove maniacs

31:00 The consultancy work of Coastal Dynamics

34:55 The Tropical Restoration Network: Workshops along the Caribbean  

42:12 Thoughts about the episode by Fran, Jenna, and Pao

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories.

Relevant links:

Mangrove Maniacs:

Website: https://www.facebook.com/mangrovemaniacsbonaire/

Fb: Mangrove maniac website https://mangrovemaniacs.org/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mangrovemaniacsbonaire/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mangrove-maniacs-bonaire/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3UvaHNHxv2dlj8N4h4Qzzg

Jessica:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastal.dynamics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoastalDynamicsBonaire

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67708572

Juan y Andrea trabajan en BioPlaster, una compañía de investigación y desarrollo tecnológico que nace para enfrentar la gran cantidad de Sargazo que llega al Mar Caribe. En esta entrevista ellos nos cuentan cómo están utilizando el Sargazo para convertirlo en bioplástico y el proceso que ha llevado con temas de Gestión de esta problemática.

03:00 Presentando a las personas invitadas, Andrea y Juan 05:45 Que es el Sargazo para Andrea 06:25 Que es el Sargazo para Juan 08:00 Los inicios de Bioplaster 10:30 Retos de trabajos interdisciplinares, ciencia, tecnología, mercadotecnia, Gestión... 15:50 Propiedades del Sargazo como potencial para bioplástico 18:17 Lo especial del Sargazo como materia prima 19:30 Que es un biopolímero 22:10 Retos utilizando Sargazo, su colecta, transporte y procesamiento 26:55 Como influye el manejo y gestión del sargazo en el proyecto de BioPlaster 31:12 Hablando de estrategias con el Gobierno local como Bioplaster 32:10 La importancia de no catalogar el Sargazo como desecho municipal 35:55 Involucramiento de las comunidades costeras en este proyecto 44:25 Porcentaje de Sargazo en bioplástico 49:25 Que proyectos vienen para Bioplaster 57:15 pensamientos finales del episodio por Paola links importantes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bioplaster-research/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreabonillabrunner/https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-domingo-iz%C3%A1bal-a3935b238/https://www.bioplaster-research.com/ Este podcast es posible gracias al apoyo financiero de la subvención del Título 6 del Centro Latinoamericano Caribeño Kimberly Green (LACC). Este podcast está producido por Mario García Rodríguez y sus anfitriones de hoy fueron Evelyn Salas, y Paola Diaz.

Jeff Davis, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, has brought together a team of undergraduates to work on this “grand challenge”. The group of young engineers and biologists traveled to the Dominican Republic to understand the scale of the problem and try to find solutions. Dr. Jeff Davis is Associate Professor School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Ciera Hudson is a mechanical engineering student at Georgia Institute of Technology. Also, Jeff explain us about an amazing project using black soldier flies to process Sargassum into fuel. 01:10: Robby introducing our guest 02:00 What is Sargassum for Jeff 03:33 Whats Sargassum for Ciera 04:20 how did this initiative to form a sargassum research group come about 07:46 Description of the research team projects 09:35 using black soldier flies to process Sargassum into biofuel, how it works? 16:28 How they are including local people 17:40 bioaccumulation of heavy metals on Sargassum and the link with black soldier flies 19:30 Challenges on the project 21:55 black soldier flies into new environments, not a concern 23:45 Ciera's advices for woman that are interested in STEM and engineering 26:16 Robby, Holly and Jenna's thoughts as hosts in this interview The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories. Relevant links https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/07/great-atlantic-sargassum-belt-seaweed-visible-from-space Jeff Davis https://davis.ece.gatech.eduhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nO85x-0AAAAJ Ciera Hudson linked in https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciera-hudson/ Instagram: @ciera_423

From September 2022-Februrary, 2023, a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders in Montserrat comprised of government and civil society representatives was trained in the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) for participatory monitoring and management of Sargassum.

In this episode we interviewed Yasa and Lavern. Yasa is the project manager for the Sustainable sargassum management in Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat’ project. Mrs. Lavern Ryan is passionate about the use and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She has been working in the field of GIS for almost 20 years.

01:00 Introducing the guests

03:50 what is Sargassum for our guests

05:40 How are people in Montserrat affected by Sargassum

07:20 Handleding Sargassum in Monserrat

08:15 Sargassum on the beach

09:05 Implementation of the Sargassum Management Plans

10:00 Steps of the training for the plan management implementation

12:30 Talking of the plan strategies

16:30 Strategies to storage the Sargassum

22:00 Organization of workshops held in Montserrat

23:40 Training local people in Monserrat

27:00 highlighting the current situation of Sargassum in the islands

28:25 important tools to manage Sargassum

29:50 The use of drones to monitoring Sargassum

38:00 Evelyn and Jenna's thoughts as hosts in this interview

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories.

Relevant links

https://www.facebook.com/CANARICARIBBEAN/

https://www.mightycause.com/story/N9elrf

In this Episode Judith Raming talked about her work as a marine park manager, she has been working with the sargassum management in STINAPA, she identifies recent changes this year in the overall management strategy.

1:00 Presenting the guest

1:30 What is Sargassum  for Judith

2:02 What is STINAPA in Bonaire

3:10 Judith's role with this organization in the Marine Park

4:00 Roles of the rangers in STINAPA

6:00 Judith's background experience and how she apply it in her work as a manager

8:25 How is Sargassum affecting Bonaire

11:40 How sargassum is affecting the work

15:00 Dealing with Sargassum and how is getting better

16:44 Community organization

21:25 School System in Bonaire

23:20 The volunteer dynamic to monitor Sargassum

26:20 Managing Sargassum disposal

32:30 Using Sargassum in Bonaire

34:45 The future of STINAPA and Sargassum in Bonaire

38:20 Final message: The center of attention in this process is the Rangers for the success in the management of the Sargassum

41:34:  Evelyn, Robby and Jenna's thoughts as hosts

The Sargassum Podcast is made possible through funding by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID). Financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Regional Programme, RESEMBID is being implemented by Expertise France, with the primary stakeholders being the 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories.

In this Episode Joseph Montoya and Harshini Vummadi join us to talk about the understanding of the high biomass of Sargassum and their impacts on the open oceans and coastal communities. Also, Harshini explains us her research using Sargassum to purify water.

Joseph Montoya is professor in the School of Biological Sciences and director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Ocean Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. Harshini Vummadi is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech. She is a 3rd year biology major whose research has been focused on Sargassum and its applications as a bioremediate.

2:00 Presenting the guest

2:56 What is Sargassum for Harshini

3:40 What is Sargassum for Joseph

6:00 The capacity of Sargassum up taking heavy metals

6:25 Harshini talks about how use Sargassum in purifying water

7:05 Current situation of Sargassum in Dominican Republic

8:30 impacts in the tourism industry

10:20 Applying purifying water solutions with Sargassum in Dominican Republic

11:30 The more impacted moments by Sargassum in Dominican Republic

12:35 Hows the experience working with interdisciplinary researchers for Joseph

19:40 Hows the experience working with interdisciplinary researchers for Harshini

21:30 The develop of Harshini research

26:39 Fran, Evelyn, and Jenna's thoughts as hosts in this interview

https://youtu.be/FzRG51E8wio

Relevant links

- https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=H15F-wYAAAAJ&hl=en