Sargassum seaweed is now a self-sustaining plague — communities seek ways to profit from it

Sargassum, the foul-smelling brown seaweed that blankets Caribbean and Mexican beaches, has become a self-sustaining annual disaster unlikely to disappear. Local communities and entrepreneurs are testing ways to turn the nuisance into a resource — including fertiliser, building materials and bioplastics. The phenomenon now poses a serious and recurring threat to beach tourism.