2025 Travel News ArchiveTravel

Government disburses US$1 million for sargassum research

Tourism Minister David Collado has announced a grant of US$1 million to support research by local universities into the sargassum seaweed problem plaguing the nation’s beaches. The funding will be channeled through the Inter-University Network for Sargassum Management and Treatment Research, a collaborative effort involving several leading universities in the country.

The grant was officially received by Julio Sánchez Maríñez, the rector of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), on behalf of the Inter-University Network. Other participating institutions include the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Universidad Apec (Unapec), Universidad Federico Henríquez y Carvajal (UFHEC), Universidad Católica del Cibao (UCATECI), and Universidad Isa.

Minister Collado emphasized that this investment demonstrates the commitment of the Dominican authorities, in partnership with the private sector, to finding a lasting scientific solution to the sargassum issue. He acknowledged that while the problem is not unique to the Dominican Republic, the country is taking proactive steps to address it.

The Inter-University Network will focus its research efforts on various aspects of the sargassum issue, including:
• Biodiversity: Studying the impact of sargassum on marine ecosystems.
• Social impact: Assessing the effects on local communities and economies.
• Monitoring: Developing improved systems for tracking sargassum blooms.
• Applications: Exploring potential uses for harvested sargassum.

The universities involved will leverage their expertise and resources to maximize the impact of the research. The goal is to develop solutions for improved monitoring, collection, treatment, and transformation of sargassum, ultimately mitigating its negative effects on the environment, communities, tourism, and the economy.

Read more in Spanish:
Noticias SIN
The Guardian

4 February 2025