{"id":170700,"date":"2025-08-14T18:38:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T00:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=170700"},"modified":"2025-08-25T12:16:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T18:16:03","slug":"sargassum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/climate-and-sustainability\/sargassum\/","title":{"rendered":"From Sargassum to Solutions: Science Fights Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You\u2019ve finally made it. You\u2019ve arrived at the beach for a well-deserved <a href=\"\/en\/health\/taking-vacation-brains\/\">vac<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/health\/taking-vacation-brains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ation<\/a>. You slip off your sandals, dig your feet into the sand, and even play with it between your toes. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you spot a dark patch in the water, gently drifting with the waves until it piles up along the shore in little mounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curious, you walk over to take a closer look and realize it\u2019s <a href=\"\/en\/biotechnology\/seawead-uses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seaweed<\/a>. It\u2019s starting to decompose and gives off a faint smell of rotten eggs. This is sargassum, the environmental problem you\u2019ve probably heard about in the news\u2014and as unsightly as it may be, <strong>it has the potential to become a valuable resource<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Ep. 125 - C\u00f3mo la ciencia podr\u00eda transformar el sargazo en oportunidad\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/6peNeMA3v4JecZtgqVvNJC?si=wWkRvA3tTTiBwrLSJqXavg&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Podcast in Spanish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Sargassum?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sargassum has been washing up on the shores of the Mexican Caribbean for many years. Still, in 2011, the massive influx of this <strong>macroalgae<\/strong> began to escalate into a serious issue\u2014one that now affects not just tourism and the local economy, but also the environment and marine ecosystems. On top of that, it poses a public health risk, potentially causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just an issue of beach aesthetics or whether people can swim. This is a complex ecological phenomenon <strong>tied to changes in ocean currents, rising sea temperatures, and increased nutrient levels in the water<\/strong>. We need to find cost-effective solutions that allow us to collect and process it,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/research.tec.mx\/vivo-tec\/display\/PID_301058\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Danay Carrillo Nieves<\/a>, a researcher at the <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/school-of-engineering-and-sciences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">School of Engineering and Sciences<\/a> and head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carrillobiolab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carrillo Biorefinery Lab<\/a> at Tec de Monterrey\u2019s Guadalajara campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The seaweed washing up in Mexico <strong>primarily consists of two species<\/strong>:&nbsp;<em>Sargassum natans<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Sargassum fluitans<\/em>. It originates in the <strong>Sargasso Sea<\/strong>, located north of Bermuda\u2014yes, the very same area known for vanishing ships\u2014and is carried by ocean currents. This means it travels across the Atlantic, circling multiple regions\u2014including Africa and South America\u2014before reaching the Mexican Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sargassum has tough cell walls and is considered recalcitrant, meaning<strong> its structure is especially difficult to break down<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, sargassum often carries heavy metals like arsenic, aluminum, and copper, limiting its potential as a raw material. If not managed properly, it can contribute to beach erosion, interfere with sea turtle nesting, and block sunlight from reaching underwater ecosystems, <a href=\"\/es\/humano-social\/blanqueamiento-del-coral\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">harming coral reefs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researcher Danay Carrillo Nieves first encountered this seaweed during her childhood in Cuba, when she would come across a few stray strands on the beach and simply toss them aside when they got in her way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in 2018, while on a family trip to Canc\u00fan, she saw that those few little strands had multiplied into large floating masses, so dense they kept her from even getting into the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a chemical engineer, she began thinking about how this decaying plant matter might be releasing gases like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide\u2014both of which are toxic to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Possible Solutions for Sargassum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrillo\u2019s interest in <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33508553\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">finding value in sargassum<\/a> led her to design a project to study it and explore ways to give it added value. She submitted a proposal and won a grant from the National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (Conahcyt) and <a href=\"https:\/\/contex.utsystem.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CONTEX<\/a> (a joint initiative between the Texas University System and the Mexican government) to develop strategies for reducing its impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrillo and her colleagues use <a href=\"\/en\/biotechnology\/seawead-uses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">biorefinery techniques to convert organic materials into valuable resources<\/a>. They\u2019re researching to isolate bioactive compounds found in the macroalgae\u2014such as alginate, fucoidan, and fucoxanthin, as well as polyphenols and laminarin\u2014with potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and agricultural industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the biomass and resulting waste can be processed to produce biogas and biofertilizers, allowing for <strong>the full use of sargassum with zero waste<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Tec de Monterrey\u2019s Guadalajara campus, a team led by researchers like <a href=\"https:\/\/research.tec.mx\/vivo-tec\/display\/PID_321802\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tom\u00e1s Garc\u00eda Cayuela<\/a> is working on environmentally friendly methods for extracting these compounds. The goal is to ensure that the solution doesn\u2019t create an environmental impact equal to or worse than the problem itself. That means avoiding harsh chemical solvents and instead using techniques like ultrasound or ethanol-based extraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scientists from Other Universities Join the Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cicy.mx\/unidad-de-energia-renovable\/investigador\/raul-tapia-tussell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ra\u00fal Tapia Tussell<\/a>, lead researcher at the Renewable Energy Unit and Director of Technology Management at the Scientific Research Center of Yucat\u00e1n (CICY), is also part of this nationwide effort, coordinated by the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (Secihti). The initiative brings together several institutions\u2014such as Tec de Monterrey, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), the Autonomous University of Coahuila, and the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ), among others\u2014to tackle the sargassum problem sustainably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to numerous studies, scientists now have a better understanding of the characteristics of Mexican sargassum. For example, in 2021, Tapia and researchers at CICY led a project\u2014funded by the Mexican Navy and Conahcyt\u2014to analyze its chemical composition and <strong>the presence of heavy metals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They collected samples from various locations along the coast\u2014on the beach, five meters offshore, and in open water\u2014to conduct their analyses. The findings have helped inform decisions on how to manage sargassum, whether as a potential raw material or as a hazardous waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building on that research, the team is now working on a sargassum depolymerization project. This oxidative process breaks down the rigid outer cell walls of the algae, much like cracking open a nutshell. This allows them to access the internal compounds and reduce the concentration of heavy metals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project has already reached a high level of technological maturity and <strong>is ready for larger-scale pilot testing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the processed material, Tapia Tussell is exploring a range of applications: producing biogas from organic waste through anaerobic digestion; extracting sodium alginate for use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, industrial, and food sectors; and creating \u201c<strong>plastic wood<\/strong>\u201d by blending it with recycled plastics to manufacture items like flooring, plant pots, and moldings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This last approach not only helps control the sargassum problem, but also provides an alternative for reducing plastic waste\u2014aligning with a <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/circular-economy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">circular economy model<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/sargassum.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"638\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/sargassum.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-170708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/sargassum.png 638w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/sargassum-187x300.png 187w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using Sargassum as a Water Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.siia.unam.mx\/siia-publico\/c\/busqueda_individual.php?id=151760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jos\u00e9 Luis L\u00f3pez Miranda<\/a> is one of the researchers at the Center for Applied Physics and Advanced Technology at UNAM\u2019s Juriquilla campus in Quer\u00e9taro. He works with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fciencias.unam.mx\/directorio\/71222\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Miriam Est\u00e9vez Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>\u2019s team to harness the unique properties of sargassum and transform it into sustainable products and resources for use in areas like <strong>water treatment and construction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get the most out of the algae, the team needs it to be<strong> collected fresh<\/strong>\u2014before it washes ashore and begins to decompose\u2014so that it retains its useful properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They collaborate with a team from UNAM\u2019s Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, which uses <strong>special boats to scoop up the algae while it&#8217;s still floating at sea<\/strong>. The collected sargassum is then spread out to dry in the sun, stored in bags, and packed in boxes for transport to the lab, where it can be safely kept for up to two years without the need for special preservation conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the applications this team is developing is <strong>a cost-effective, sustainable water filter<\/strong> that takes advantage of sargassum\u2019s natural ability to absorb pollutants. In essence, it acts like a sponge, trapping heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, and lead; industrial dyes; and pharmaceuticals such as paracetamol and diclofenac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe treat it so that it releases all those metals, metalloids, and so on, and dispose of them properly,\u201d explains L\u00f3pez. \u201cThat way, we can really make the most of the sargassum and say, hey, it\u2019s not all bad. We process it to make it suitable for our needs. We activate or functionalize it so that it binds specifically to the molecule or substance we want to remove.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers have conducted tests using various mixtures of contaminated water and measure how much the concentration of pollutants decreases after passing through the sargassum filter. The seaweed can be used either chopped or ground, depending on the size of the particles they\u2019re targeting. Currently, the team has developed filter prototypes in the shape and size of cartridges compatible with standard commercial filtration systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And for Construction Panels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another project aimed at repurposing this macroalgae focuses on the construction industry\u2014specifically, the production of interior panels made by combining sargassum with other materials like gypsum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researcher explains that the resulting product, dubbed the \u201c<strong>Sargapanel<\/strong>,\u201d has mechanical strength comparable to that of conventional panels, along with thermal and acoustic insulation properties. It also has a flame-retardant effect, which enhances safety in the event of a fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team is also looking to leverage this flame-resistant property to produce paper and cardboard that can be used for making boxes and packaging\u2014offering a biodegradable alternative with added fire resistance.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Collective Effort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although more research is needed to fully bring these various solutions to life, L\u00f3pez emphasizes that no single sector can solve the sargassum problem alone. Collaboration between academia, industry, and government is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIndustry won\u2019t commit unless it sees a clear and viable outcome,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s where government agencies could step in\u2014to provide funding or support to turn these projects into actual products. We need everyone at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Danay Carrillo Nieves, sargassum is more than just a nuisance\u2014it\u2019s a reminder that creativity and collaboration can transform any crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s not always see things in life as problems. Not everything is. Let\u2019s try to look on <strong>the bright side<\/strong>\u2014what might seem bad at first glance could have hidden value. I truly believe that\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing with sargassum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Were you interested in this story? Want to publish it? Contact our content editor to learn more:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><strong><em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:marianaleonm@tec.mx\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marianaleonm@tec.mx<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Under normal conditions, sargassum serves as a floating habitat for fish and sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. But when it piles up by the ton, it blocks sunlight and disrupts marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":170704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[541,135],"class_list":["post-170700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-sustainability","tag-climate-and-sustainability","tag-school-of-engineering-and-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.0 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sargassum: What It Is and the Science Aiming to Solve the Problem | TecScience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Under normal conditions, sargassum acts as a floating habitat for fish and turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. But when it builds up in massive amounts, it blocks sunlight and harms marine ecosystems.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/climate-and-sustainability\/sargassum\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Sargassum to Solutions: Science Fights Back\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Under normal conditions, sargassum acts as a floating habitat for fish and turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. But when it builds up in massive amounts, it blocks sunlight and harms marine ecosystems.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/climate-and-sustainability\/sargassum\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TecScience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-15T00:38:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-25T18:16:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/science-and-sargassum.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ricardo Trevi\u00f1o\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ricardo Trevi\u00f1o\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ricardo Trevi\u00f1o\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0ed5b5fa0ab2c4754211e4addf201dc\"},\"headline\":\"From Sargassum to Solutions: Science Fights Back\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-15T00:38:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-25T18:16:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1684,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/science-and-sargassum.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Climate and Sustainability\",\"School of Engineering and Sciences\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Climate and Sustainability\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sargassum: What It Is and the Science Aiming to Solve the Problem | TecScience\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/climate-and-sustainability\\\/sargassum\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/science-and-sargassum.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-15T00:38:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-25T18:16:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Under normal conditions, sargassum acts as a floating habitat for fish and turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. 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