Pelagic sargassum - A guide to current and potential uses in the Caribbean

Pelagic sargassum - A guide to current and potential uses in the Caribbean has been developed as a resource for researchers, business entrepreneurs and policymakers by providing, under one cover, a comprehensive overview of the wide range of current uses of sargassum in the Caribbean and the challenges faced to date. It also provides insights into potential uses, based on examples and research from other parts of the world involving different sargassum species or other seaweeds. The first section of the guide sets the context in which it was developed and gives a brief general overview of pelagic sargassum, including its basic biology and chemical composition, as relevant to developing uses for sargassum biomass. Section 2 presents a range of potential uses of sargassum based on research and examples of uses of macroalgae (seaweeds) in general, and brown algae in particular, highlighting those using sargassum seaweed species where available. Section 3 provides a comprehensive summary of the challenges faced to date, the new knowledge that is helping to address these, and gaps that remain.