At the end of this month of September, the international CARIBS project will be presented in Cancún, Mexico—a scientific initiative uniting Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and France to confront the massive arrival of sargassum in the Caribbean.

The project seeks to establish a collaborative management model and strengthen regional capacities against the proliferation of macroalgae. According to Cinvestav, under the coordination of researcher Erika Vázquez Delfín, CARIBS will focus on three lines of action.

The first consists of comprehensive monitoring to improve current tools and apply them in understudied areas. The second is oriented toward developing proposals for sustainable use. The third proposes promoting a program of ocean culture and community participation through citizen science.

The official launch will take place on September 29 within the framework of the international event Sargassum Cooperation Days, scheduled for September 28–30 in Cancún. The initiative has funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, through its embassies in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.

Sargassum has generated negative impacts on tourism, although it has also opened opportunities for the creation of new products. It is currently used in sectors such as construction, agriculture, cosmetics, biogas production, and the manufacture of items such as sandals and pencils. However, these alternatives face environmental and health challenges in transforming a waste product into raw material and consolidating a circular economy model.

Among the most notable experiences is the development of "sargacreto" by the Dakatso Group, a material intended for the construction of sidewalks, roadways, highways, benches, and artificial reefs. This technology was applied in section 5 of the Mayan Train in Mexico. Producing one block of sargacreto requires between 40 and 45 kilograms of macroalgae.