The Sargassum Interuniversity Network is constantly seeking solutions
SANTO DOMINGO. – The Director of Research of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Carlos Sanlley, assured that, for the universities that make up the The search for solutions to the problems posed by this macroalgae, both for the country and the Caribbean region, is not a one-time task, but rather a topic they work on year-round, although they sometimes struggle to secure funding for research.
Participating in the panel "Challenges and Solutions for Sargassum," held during the Sustainable Expo 2025 Fair, Sanlley highlighted that, even before the government established the Sargassum Roundtable, universities had been conducting research since 2012 to determine possible alternatives and options for what they could do with sargassum.
The first attempt was biogas production. “It seemed simple and adaptable at the time, but it turned out the technology couldn't be developed. We then tried making building materials, bricks, but that didn't work either,” Sanlley cited as examples of initiatives that have been explored locally.
The INTEC Research Director said that in 2015, the university was the first to receive funding from the National Fund for Innovation and Scientific and Technological Development (Fondocyt) for research on activated carbon from sargassum. "We already have a working product, which we have used to clean water contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and various organic products," Sanlley stated.
Research lines
He also noted that the universities that make up the Network have collaborated on research projects with various companies and institutions, such as the Puntacana Group, SOS Carbon, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; international organizations such as the German Development Cooperation (GIZ); the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); and the French Embassy, among others. These projects have focused on monitoring and prediction, with INTEC developing three projects.
The INTEC research professor reported that INTEC has also worked on fertilizers and stimulants for agriculture, to eliminate the use of artificial fertilizers, which have higher nitrogen and phosphorus content. The university, through its Bioplastics and Biomaterials Innovation Unit at the Center for Environmental Management (CEGA), is also developing bioplastics from sargassum.
Sanlley stated that there are about 15 research projects on sargassum that depend on the Interuniversity Sargassum Network. "We still have a lot to do, for example, focusing on barriers and collection... We need a comprehensive national sargassum policy, as well as greater monitoring," he said.
INTEC's Director of Research represented the Network's member universities on a panel on sargassum, which included the Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources, Ramón Reyes; Andrés Bisonó, Founder and CEO of SOS Carbon; and Jake Kheel, Vice President of the Puntacana Group Foundation.