New webinar series connects Sargassum expertise across the Atlantic
A new webinar series, organised by the Sargassum Information Hub in collaboration with the AIR Centre, is bringing together people working on Sargassum challenges across the Atlantic.
Running from September to November 2026, the five-part series “Networking Fridays: Sargassum across the Atlantic” provides a space to exchange knowledge and build new connections. The series explores the Sargassum challenge from several angles; monitoring and forecasting, impacts on ecosystems and livelihoods, public health, policy, and the development of Sargassum-based products and value chains.
The opening session, “Watching the Belt: monitoring and forecasting Sargassum across the Atlantic”, took place on 18 September 2026, and is now available to watch online. The session looked at how satellite observations, ocean circulation and drift models, forecasting tools, and other monitoring approaches can be used to detect and track Sargassum and provide useful information to coastal managers.
The second webinar, “Communities & Ecosystems Under Pressure: livelihoods and marine biodiversity”, takes place on 2 October from 13:00–14:30 UTC. It will examine both the ecological and human consequences of recurrent Sargassum strandings. Topics include impacts on Caribbean reef systems, experiences of Sargassum proliferation and the blue economy in West Africa, and work in Cabo Verde using seaweed valorisation to support climate adaptation and women’s empowerment.
The remaining sessions are:
- 16 October, 13:00–14:30 UTC: Toxic Tides: public health impacts (moderated by GEO Blue Planet Sargassum Working Group member Dr Judith Rosellon Druker)
- 30 October, 13:00–14:30 UTC: Governing the Tide: regional policy, coordination, and international frameworks
- 20 November, 13:00–14:30 UTC: Sargassum as Resource: circular economy application, valorisation, and value chains
Registration for the webinars will be announced on the Air Centre website: https://www.aircentre.org/en/networking-fridays
