While the Caribbean coasts are already seriously affected by the massive proliferation of the brown algae Sargassum, climate change is increasing the risk that this phenomenon will also reach Europe, especially in the Mediterranean and Baltic regions. In this context of emerging threat, the UAB has just launched the European project SARGEX (Sargassum Bioeconomy: from coastal biomass to advanced sustainable materials), with the aim of addressing one of the growing marine environmental challenges, namely the sustainable management of this biomass on European coasts and beyond.
The four-year project is coordinated by Mercè Llugany, researcher in the Plant Physiology group of the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, and by Gustavo Pérez, project manager of the Chemical Separation Techniques Group (GTS) of the Department of Chemistry. The nine consortium partners who are part of the project recently met at the UAB to launch it.
The massive Sargassum blooms are already causing serious damage to marine ecosystems, public health, fisheries and coastal tourism in the Caribbean. The unmanaged accumulation of this biomass releases toxic gases, degrades biodiversity, and generates high clean-up costs for coastal communities. Rising sea temperatures and changes in ocean currents are expected to end up affecting European ecosystems as well.
The project team proposes to transform this environmental problem into an opportunity by developing modular and minimal waste systems that allow Sargassum to be converted into valuable bio-based products, such as bioinputs for agriculture, biochar for soil restoration and carbon storage, and biogas for renewable energy generation. The project integrates advanced pretreatments, biorefining processes, and sustainable chemistry to support circular bioeconomy models and climate resilience.
"At the moment, Sargassum is an environmental liability. Our goal is to turn this situation around and convert it into an economic asset for the European bioeconomy", highlights Mercè Llugany, principal investigator on the project.
The consortium brings together the academic, industrial and innovative expertise of six European and three Cuban partners, covering the entire value chain, from marine biomass characterisation and biorefinery processes, to environmental assessment, technological optimisation and agronomic valorisation.
In addition to the UAB, the project partners include the University of Naples Federico II, the University of Antwerp, and the companies Blue EcoTech LTD, Aeris Tecnologías Ambientales (AERIS), and Sustainable Innovation Technology Services Limited (SITES). As associated partners, the Fundación Universitaria de Innovación y Desarrollo (FUH), the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICIMAR), and the Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes Indio Hatuey (EEPFIH) will provide expertise in Sargassum ecology and agronomic applications of derived products.
Working group meets for the first time for the launch of the SARGEX project.
"We propose a comprehensive solution to transform an emerging environmental risk into an opportunity for the circular bioeconomy, aligned with key European Union strategies such as the European Green Deal and the strategy for a sustainable blue economy", Llugany concludes.
SARGEX receives funding under the Horizon Europe's MSCA Staff Exchanges programme and includes a budget of 886,770 euros.
