Revolutionizing Marine Conservation: Sargassum Artificial Reefs in the Mayan Riviera

This November, a joint program run by BBVA bank and the Association of Hotels of the Mayan Riviera (AHRM) will be awarding prizes for innovative projects using sargassum, a type of seaweed. One of the standout projects includes artificial reefs made from sargassum, which are currently being tested along the coasts of Cozumel.

The project aims to construct barriers of artificial coral using sargassum. A pilot project has already been conducted, successfully regenerating coral and marine life and proving the concept's viability. The pilot project in Cozumel has weathered the last two storms and hurricanes, demonstrating its resilience.

These artificial reefs are designed like lego modules, which can be assembled in various shapes and sizes. Live corals are inserted into these modules, not only regenerating the coral but also creating an artificial reef. Unlike traditional methods using cement or rebar, this approach uses sargassum, which has a less negative impact on the sea.

The project was first introduced in November 2023 by Dr. Shadai Lugo Loredo, a principal investigator and professor at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. The project received an honorable mention for its innovative use of a 3D printed modular dome made from sargassum waste and clay. The dome is coated with a sargassum extract to reduce maintenance.

At the same event, other winning projects were recognized. These included Sargapanel, a proposal for creating a gypsum panel containing sargassum, presented by Dr. Miriam Rocío Estévez González from UNAM; a project using sargassum as a source of bioenergy and bioproducts, presented by Master Felipe Neri Rodríguez Casasola from IPN; and a project using sargassum as a source of phosphorus removal in wastewater, presented by Dr. Juan Muñoz Saldaña from the National Center for Thermal Projection (Cenaprot).