The Regional Government of Madeira, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, reported this evening that it is monitoring with special attention the arrival of masses of sargassum (floating seaweed) to the Selvagens and Desertas Islands.
“This phenomenon, detected in recent days, is being monitored on the ground by technical teams from the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN),” reads the press release, which adds that the presence of floating sargassum in the coastal regions of Macaronesia, including Madeira, is part of a broader trend observed since 2011 in the Northwest Atlantic, associated with climate change and changes in ocean currents. These algae originate from the Sargasso Sea, a unique floating ecosystem, but their accumulation outside their area of origin can cause environmental imbalances in the coastal areas where they are deposited.
The aforementioned note also explains that the current situation on the Selvagens and Desertas Islands does not, to date, compromise the good state of conservation of their ecosystems, but the IFCN stresses the importance of permanent surveillance, both locally and regionally.
The Regional Directorate for the Environment and the Sea (DRAM) confirms, in turn, that the quantities of sargassum recorded this year are, so far, significantly lower than those observed in 2024. Specimens recently detected in Porto Santo were quickly collected by the competent services.
Please note that the disposal sites identified and authorized by DRAM, in Madeira and Porto Santo, are the same, with priority being given to destinations that ensure recovery, namely agricultural centers managed by the Regional Public Administration.