Elena Martínez, 8 months old and swimming. (Photo Courtesy of Elena Martínez)
Now as Chief Technology Officer and co-founder for the newly launched SOS Biotech, and one of The Rockefeller Foundation’s 2024 Big Bets Fellows, oceanographer Martínez is leading a pioneering effort to harvest the harmful seaweed sargassum through a collaboration with fishing communities, and either dispose of it sustainably or, ideally, pass it on to industries that use it.
SOS Biotech’s goal, she said, is to transform the ocean’s mess into its message — by creating opportunity out of a crisis while supporting environmental sustainability.
Nature’s Challenge, Nature’s Solution
Sargassum is a mustard-colored seaweed that floats in island-like clumps and never attaches to the seafloor. Fueled by warming seas, coastal pollution, and fertilizer runoffs, its presence has dramatically increased in the last two decades.
It can stretch for miles across the ocean’s surface, smothering coral reefs and seagrass beds, which disrupts habitats and affects marine life. Its decomposition releases toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide, leading to oxygen depletion in the water and posing numerous respiratory, skin, and other health risks to humans.
Sargassum accumulates close to the shore in the Dominican Republic, causing challenges for marine life, fishing, and tourism. (Video Courtesy Elena Martínez)
But to tackle environmental challenges effectively, the world must prioritize the development of innovative, sustainable solutions that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.
Sargassum Facts
- Sargassum provides essential habitat for at least 80 marine species in the open ocean.
- Since 2011, sargassum growth has increased dramatically, with the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt now stretching 5,000 miles across the Atlantic.
- When sargassum accumulates near coastlines, it creates “dead zones” by blocking sunlight, depleting oxygen levels, and suffocating marine ecosystems.
- Decomposing sargassum produces toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which can cause respiratory and neurological damage within 48 hours of accumulation.
- The seaweed significantly impacts coastal economies, particularly tourism and fishing.
Centering Coastal Communities
Ocean-linked sectors, known collectively as the blue economy, are estimated to contribute US $1.5 trillion in value-add to the global economy, supporting around 31 million jobs. In fact, two-thirds of the global economy is moderately or highly dependent on ocean resources.
For places like the Dominican Republic that rely on tourism, sargassum spells trouble. Businesses in Guayacanes, a popular tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, reported a 60 percent decline in visitors in 2023.
Harvested sargassum on the coast of the Dominican Republic. (Photo Courtesy of Elena Martínez)
The country’s fishing industry normally brings in about $94.5 million annually, but the sargassum invasion not only reduces catches but can make it difficult to even operate the fishing boats.
A sustainable blue economy can only succeed if human well-being and justice are at its heart, Martínez emphasized.
That’s why SOS Carbon works closely with local fishermen as key partners in its livelihood efforts.
Over the past two years, the foundation arm of SOS Biotech has trained over 100 fishermen in safe, low-impact methods for harvesting sargassum before it reaches beaches.
Together, they’ve removed more than 13,000 tons of seaweed.
“Fishermen are often left out of the conversation about coastal management. But that makes no sense,” she said. “They have unparalleled knowledge about the sea. They understand the currents, where to go, where to avoid, and when to act.”
In the end, the work to control sargassum affects more than individual coastlines. It impacts the greater ecosystem of the ocean, which makes up 70 percent of our planet and is crucial for climate regulation, Martínez noted.
“I absolutely believe the ocean holds the answers,” she said, “to many of the challenges we are facing.”
