BVIPA reaches out to Florida team to assist with sargassum seaweed influx
Sargassum is a type of free-floating brown algae that forms large, floating mats in the world's oceans, particularly in tropical and temperate waters.
In August 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change advised that the influx of sargassum could continue for weeks.
At the ferry port in Road Town, the influx of sargassum is quite visible.
Customary methods continue
Today, September 11, 2025, the Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority, Mr Akeem R. Pickering, told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), “We have been in communication and working with a team out of Florida to address the sargassum issues.”
The BVIPA also hopes to partner with other entities to assist in general sargassum cleanup throughout the Territory, he added.
Meanwhile, the customary way of using an excavator with specialised water draining buckets will continue.
“This time, we're using a long-reach excavator to reach further, which will help clean the areas faster,” Mr Pickering said.
What the public can do
Mass sargassum landings first occurred in the Caribbean in 2011 when a new massive bloom of sargassum known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt started to emerge and now spans from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.
It is also the largest accumulation of brown algae ever observed and results from changes in oceanic and climatic conditions, as the intensity of landings has varied from year to year.
Sargassum troubles
The public has been advised to avoid swimming directly in areas with heavy sargassum landings to avoid potential skin irritation.
Boaters are advised to avoid sailing through thick sargassum as it can damage propellers; they should also inspect and clean engine intakes regularly.
Also in August, the Environmental Health Division notified the public that when large amounts of sargassum decompose, they release substances that may affect the taste and smell of pipe-borne water, damage water pipes and treatment plants and increase the risk of bacterial growth in the water supply.
As such, persons were advised not to drink the pipe water if it has an unfamiliar smell, taste or colour and use bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth if there are changes in water quality.
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10 Responses to “BVIPA reaches out to Florida team to assist with sargassum seaweed influx”
just need to secure the necessary equipment and teach our people to operate it properly
This is a reoccurring matter so take some of the aero plane money buy the equipment and have it to use when needed