Save the Date_Networking Fridays: Sargassum across the Atlantic series

Since 2011, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB) has undergone a dramatic and sustained expansion, depositing unprecedented quantities of pelagic Sargassum fluitans and S. natans on the shores of the Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and West African nations from Cape Verde, Senegal to Nigeria. What began as an episodic nuisance has become a chronic, transoceanic crisis: affecting artisanal fisheries, coastal tourism, public health, marine biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions of people across the Atlantic Basin.

This Networking Fridays series creates a dedicated, recurring space across the Atlantic to connect researchers, environmental managers, health professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and community representatives. Each session pairs a regional practitioner — someone dealing with sargassum on the ground — with specialists whose expertise can directly inform local responses. The goal is not just knowledge transfer but promote cross-Atlantic partnerships.