Coastal communities across the Atlantic continue to face the growing environmental and economic pressures of massive Sargassum blooms. While new Earth Observation capabilities—such as the real‑time Sargassum detection products available here—are transforming our ability to monitor these events, accessing and using this information remains a challenge for many non‑technical stakeholders.

At GEO Blue Planet, we see the rapidly rising demand for regional insights, users are clearly seeking simple, intuitive, and actionable tools to support their decision-making.

This is why, for the 2026 AAORIA Intergenerational Ocean Hackathon in Brazil, we’re co-organising with IOCARIBE an ambitious challenge dedicated to reimagining how Sargassum information is communicated and used across the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Africa. Participants will co-design new, visually engaging regional webpages that will include decision-support dashboards that translate complex data into clear insights for coastal managers, blue‑economy actors, and community practitioners.

Over two days, Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) and experienced scientists will help shape the next evolution of the Sargassum Information Hub—making it more user-centred, accessible, and impactful, and ultimately strengthening our collective capacity to anticipate and manage the effects of Sargassum influxes.

Winnie, Paola and Franziska, members of the GEO Blue Planet Working Group will join the Sargassum Challenge with support from the EU4OceanObs Horizon Europe Project. Learn more about their inclusivity actions here.