The Sargassum Crisis: New Environmental Reality

Since 2011, massive sargassum seaweed invasions plague Caribbean territories, representing climate change's unexpected consequences.

"Sargassum went from minor nuisance to economic disaster overnight," describes hotelier Marie-Galante Bourgeois. "Beaches buried under rotting seaweed destroy tourism."

Multiple impacts emerge: - Hydrogen sulfide emissions threaten health - Coastal ecosystems smothered - Fishing boats trapped in harbors - Cleanup costs explode municipal budgets

"We're victims of others' pollution," charges environmental official Hélène Migeot. "Agricultural runoff from Amazon and Mississippi, plus ocean warming, creates this plague we endure."

Innovation emerges from crisis: - Sargassum converted to biofuel and fertilizer - Early warning systems using satellite monitoring - Floating barriers protecting key beaches - Regional cooperation sharing solutions

"Every crisis births opportunity," maintains entrepreneur Yann Helias, building sargassum processing facilities. "This curse could become resource."