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For ten years, sargassum, brown seaweed, has abounded on Martinican beaches. This phenomenon is proving to be a real scourge for the inhabitants and the economy of the island.
On the Atlantic coast of the Martinique, the heavenly blue of the ocean has given way to this immense dark tide. For more than ten years, sargassum, these brown algae, have submerged the coast of the island and invaded the shore. A tourist concedes: “It spoils the landscape and it’s quite unpleasant in terms of the smell.” For Marie-Claude Pognon, the ordeal is daily, these algae rot at the foot of her house and give off hydrogen sulphide, a gas with a nauseating odor. “It grabs you by the throat, it stings your eyes. […] You want to vomit.”
An impact on health
Sargassum is proliferating in the West Indies due to changing ocean currents and global warming. A phenomenon that paralyzes part of the island’s economy, tourism first of all. Large floating nets have been installed several hundred meters from the coast by the authorities. Municipalities trying to collect sargassum, but the task is immense. A study is currently underway to identify potential health risks.
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