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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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One man's outreach to the community to find a solution to the Sargasso problem plaguing the island has him organizing a weekly beach cleanup campaign that promises to build the beach while getting rid of the Sargasso (seaweed) that keeps accumulating by the tons.

Dimas Guerrero refused to sit back and watch all that seaweed pile up on the shores of the Ambergris Caye, and after doing some extensive research, he found a solution that not only removes the unsightly and smelly, decomposing seaweed but also reclaims the beach area.

Instead of collecting and removing seaweed from the beach, which also takes away beach sand along with it, Dimas tested a method that keeps both on site and has the beach growing exponentially. In his first testing of the method he was able to add 17 feet to a beach area. It's a simple process of collecting the seaweed and evenly laying it out on the beach; various holes are dug where as much seaweed is dumped and compacted, while the white sand from the hole is used to cover the remaining seaweed on the beach.

It's hard work and at times it may seem discouraging considering the large amount of seaweed drifting in, but that is not discouraging Dimas from organizing cleanups every Sunday at a public beach just north of Las Terrazas/Journey's End property. For four weeks now, volunteers have been working hard along with him and he provides refreshments and snacks in return.

Sargasso Clean up and Beach Building in Belize

One man's outreach to the community to find a solution to the Sargasso problem plaguing the island has him organizing a weekly beach cleanup campaign that promises to build the beach while getting rid of the Sargasso (seaweed) that keeps accumulating by the tons.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the Ambergris Today


Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 484
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Great idea. They have been doing this in Mexico for a long time since the Sargasso problem started. About two years ago in Playa Del Carmen I saw the town workers digging holes and filling them with Sargasso. Then they would mound the sand on top. It would be a slight mound but as the sargasso dried out underneath it would flatten level. I think about this every time I see the town board workers and hotel workers raking and scooping it away taking a bit of sand with every scoop. At least they are filling lots with it though.

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,267
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Kudos to all who care and pitch in!

This approach Works well in the location specified above which is a protected cove where stuff accretes. In an area prone to attack by stronger currents this approach may not be wise ? To destabilize a well-compacted shoreline can result in erosion rather than beach building. Where there are stronger currents prone to erode shore I have seen a different approach work pretty well. Rake the saragasso up to waters edge forming a berm. Water seems to deposit sand slowly behind the berm...


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