Sargassum Seaweed finds a good use at Cayman Turtle Farm

The huge mats of brown Sargassum seaweed that have been washing up on Cayman’s shores might be an unsightly nuisance to fishermen and swimmers, but the seaweed has found a good use at Cayman Turtle Farm. It is being collected by Cayman Turtle Farm crew members and spread over the soil and used as a fertilizer. There, it gradually feeds the soil with valuable plant nutrients as it decomposes, as well as reducing evaporation from the soil’s surface, thus keeping the moisture in the soil. A covering of seaweed also helps to keep weeds from growing.

CTF groundskeeper, Melvin Gill said, “We use the weed for fertilizing the trees and plants. It’s very organic and very good for the plants. We got the seaweed from the beach at the Ritz-Carlton, and we also went to South Sound. We removed a lot. There is a lot all around the island; I think the most is on Public Beach. So as well as helping to clean the place, I suggest that people should use it around their plants because it’s very good.”

Ask anybody old enough and they’ll tell you that this is nothing new; seaweed has been used as a fertilizer in the Cayman Islands for longer than anyone can remember. It’s full of regular nutrients, like Nitrogen and Phosphorus, but it is also great for the rare trace elements that act like plant vitamins, making them grow strong and lush and healthy.

Exactly what causes the blooms of Sargassum seaweed which originate off the coast of South America isn’t known for certain, but experts say it could be warmer waters, different sea currents, or even to the nutrient-rich run-off from increased fertilizer use on land.