Sargassum Biochar for Harmful Algal Bloom Remediation

Blooms of Sargassum seaweed piling up on beaches have been a consistent problem for the Caribbean and south Florida, causing negative impacts to tourism, potential health risks, and costly efforts to remove it when amounts are excessive. To deal with excess seaweed, scientists and entrepeuners have explored various beneficial uses of Sargassum. One such use is conversion of Sargassum to biochar. Biochar is black carbon/charcoal produced from biological sources, which can be used for water and nutrient retention in soils, filtration of toxins, or carbon sequestration. Dr. Toufiq Reza, from the Florida Institute of Technology discussed his current research on conversion of Sargassum into biochar and its potential use in treating harmful algal bloom toxins.

webinar date: 4/18/2023

For more background view the 2021 webinar on Sargassum in the 2021 Water Ambassador playlist.

[Niaaal]

What do you think about making biochar briquettes for replacing charcoal for cooking? Would that be an applicable use?