INTEC will coordinate a regional project in the Dominican Republic, financed by France, to strengthen sargassum management in the Caribbean.
The initiative, which links Mexico, Cuba, France and the Dominican Republic, includes satellite monitoring, scientific protocols, biomass valorization, development of biomaterials and ocean literacy in communities impacted by sargassum
SANTO DOMINGO. The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) will coordinate a multidisciplinary project in the Dominican Republic to address the arrival of sargassum from a scientific, transdisciplinary and collaborative approach, through the regional initiative CARIBS: Regional Cooperation for Sargassum Management and Capacity Building in the Caribbean Basin, which also involves Mexico, Cuba and France.
The CARIBS project will have a duration of two years and a total budget of $1,000,000 euros, financed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the French Embassy in the Dominican Republic.
Its regional operators will be the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), for Mexico; and CIRAD, the French agricultural research organization for the development, by Cuba; and to INTEC, as coordinator in the Dominican Republic, with the participation of the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) and UNAPEC.
The signing of the agreement was led by the French Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Sonia Barbry, and the Rector of INTEC, Arturo Del Villar. The diplomat explained that, following the success of the “Resagrosargazo” project, previously developed in conjunction with INTEC and other partners, the French government decided to join forces with its embassies in Mexico and Cuba, countries also affected by sargassum, to continue analyzing solutions to the problems posed by this macroalga.
“The project aims to address the urgent need to manage the massive proliferation of sargassum, a phenomenon that has intensified since 2011 and has serious socio-economic and ecosystemic repercussions,” said Barbry, who noted that the sargassum challenge requires coordinated action and the sharing of initiatives and knowledge at a regional level.
Del Villar affirmed that INTEC has focused on applied research to address the country's major challenges. "Our goal is for researchers to offer solutions to the problems we face," he said. In that regard, he indicated that the university is developing the "Quisqueya Sat" nanosatellite to monitor sargassum and determine the amount that will arrive. He also mentioned its potential use as a raw material for the agricultural industry and other sectors.
The agreement continues the progress of the ResAgroSargazo project, “Franco-Dominican cooperation on the management of sargassum and agricultural waste”, developed between 2024 and 2025, which made it possible to identify sustainable solutions for the use of sargassum, improve the management of agricultural waste and strengthen cooperation between France, including its overseas territories in the Caribbean, and the Dominican Republic.
Based on that experience, CARIBS expands the scope of cooperation to a regional dimension, by integrating Mexico and Cuba, complementing the efforts promoted by the Dominican Government, the European Union and bilateral cooperation agencies to address the environmental, economic and social impacts of sargassum.
The signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of the French Embassy in the Dominican Republic and was attended by the Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Action of the French Embassy, Brigitte Veyne; the Attaché for University and Linguistic Cooperation, Sanae Fukuma; the Assistant of the Cooperation and Cultural Action Service, Raysa Fostier and the Head of Communication, Morgane Bechu.
Also in attendance from INTEC were the Vice-Rector of Research and Outreach, Rosario Aróstegui, and the project coordinator, Ulises Jáuregui-Haza.
Researcher Ulises Jauregui explained that, as part of the agreement, INTEC will participate in actions related to improving remote detection, designing scientific protocols, developing sargassum conditioning technologies, creating biomaterials, and implementing educational and community programs.
One of the core components will be the development of an integrated surveillance protocol to promote more responsible sargassum management by improving detection and monitoring systems. It also includes the creation of an international scientific committee to develop a standardized protocol that can be replicated across different Caribbean territories.
The second focus of Dominican participation will be the development of a conditioning technology that allows for the proper drying, crushing, and preservation of sargassum seaweed for use as raw material for the development of biomaterials.
A third component will be geared towards ocean literacy, with the purpose of developing an educational program focused on the sargassum phenomenon that promotes community adaptation, environmental awareness and capacity building in impacted sectors.
The CARIBS project seeks to generate a comprehensive and replicable strategy for the management of sargassum in the Caribbean, with improved monitoring tools, valuation protocols, trained communities and a regional cooperation network to turn an environmental challenge into an opportunity for sustainable economic and social development.