France launches a regional program to strengthen sargassum management in the Caribbean
The FEF-CARIBS initiative, coordinated by INTEC in the country and financed by the French Government, will promote, for two years, the development of technologies, scientific protocols and cooperation programs to address one of the main environmental challenges in the region.
SANTO DOMINGO. – The Dominican Republic begins a new stage in the search for solutions to the impact of sargassum with the launch of the project FEF-CARIBS: Regional cooperation for sargassum management and capacity building in the Caribbean basin, an international scientific cooperation initiative that will strengthen research, innovation and the development of technologies for the sustainable management of this macroalga in the Greater Caribbean.
The project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through the French Embassies in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba, is coordinated in the country by the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) with the participation of the universities UNPHU and UNAPEC. In Mexico, it is coordinated by the French Research Institute for Development (IRD) and in Cuba by CIRAD, the French organization for agricultural research for development.
The national launch of the initiative took place at the Social Security Observatory (OSES) of INTEC, where government authorities, representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, universities and researchers presented the objectives, lines of action and scope of this regional alliance that will have a budget of one million euros.
The event was attended by the rector of INTEC, Arturo Del Villar; the French ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Sonia Barbry; the vice minister of International Cooperation of the Ministry of the Presidency, Olaya Dotel; the rector of APEC University (UNAPEC), Erik Pérez Vega; and the vice rector of Research Projects, Linkage and Internationalization of the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Claudia Acra Despradel.
In his welcoming address, the rector of INTEC, Arturo Del Villar, stated that, “the massive proliferation of sargassum on our coasts and in the Atlantic is an ecosystemic, social and economic challenge of monumental scale that has affected us strongly since 2011. Its magnitude and erratic behavior demand responses that transcend national borders.”
Likewise, Ambassador Sonia Barbry considered that “the lack of effective management due to the magnitude of the phenomenon, its erratic behavior and the absence of regulation and coordination between the different affected sectors, requires the implementation of coordinated actions and the sharing of initiatives and knowledge at the regional level.”
About FEF-CARIBS
FEF-CARIBS continues the progress achieved by the project ResAgroSargassoDeveloped between 2024 and 2025 and also funded by the French government, this project has fostered Franco-Dominican cooperation to identify sustainable alternatives for utilizing sargassum seaweed, more efficient management of agricultural waste, and the strengthening of scientific collaboration between the two countries. Building on this experience, the new initiative expands the scope of cooperation to a regional dimension by incorporating Mexico and Cuba.
The project will last two years and have a total budget of €1,000,000, funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among the main components of this new project are the strengthening of surveillance and monitoring systems through remote sensing and satellite tools; the development of common scientific protocols for sargassum management; the creation of technologies for its conditioning and conservation; the use of biomass for the production of biomaterials; and the implementation of ocean literacy programs aimed at coastal communities.
This project is conceived as complementary to the efforts of the Dominican government and bilateral or multilateral donors, in particular complementary to the European programs within the framework of Global Gateway and the French programs SARGCOOP2, managed by Guadeloupe and SARSEA managed by Expertise France from Martinique.
In fact, the international launch of CARIBS, together with Cuban and Mexican partners, is planned in Cancun, Mexico, on September 29 as part of the “Sargassum Cooperation Days” organized by Expertise France and SARGCOOP 2, just before the Global Gateway event on sargassum on October 1 and 2.
As part of the launch agenda, INTEC researcher and project coordinator Ulises Jáuregui-Haza presented the objectives of FEF-CARIBS and the main challenges facing the Dominican Republic in the face of massive sargassum arrivals.
In that regard, Jauregui-Haza explained that “the goal is to create a comprehensive and replicable strategy to promote integrated management and participatory governance of sargassum, which can be adapted and deployed in different territories of the Caribbean. In other words, we are going to conduct the pilot programs successfully; the idea is that after this experience, they will be extended to the same areas within our geographic region.”
At the meeting, UNPHU researchers shared advances on technologies for drying seaweed, while UNAPEC specialists presented research on the production of biomaterials from sargassum and other agricultural waste.
The initiative also envisions the formation of an international scientific committee to develop standardized methodologies applicable across the Caribbean, strengthening cooperation among academic institutions, governments, and international organizations. Through this, FEF-CARIBS aims to transform one of the region's greatest environmental challenges into an opportunity to promote innovation, the circular economy, and sustainable development.