The latest news and updates on sargassum conditions, permit progress, and response operations in Puerto Rico.
CURRENT CONDITIONS · MAY 2026The San Juan Daily Star · 4 days ago
DNER Deploys Specialized Sargassum Unit to Las Croabas, Fajardo
DNER Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez has dispatched technical personnel from the Specialized Sargassum Unit to the Las Croabas area in Fajardo following a significant sargassum influx. Teams are expected to arrive within 48 hours to assess conditions and begin removal operations.
Source: The San Juan Daily Star. All credit to The San Juan Daily Star for original reporting. Article summary used for informational purposes only. Read the full article at sanjuandailystar.com.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE · MAY 2026The San Juan Daily Star · 2026
DNER Specialized Sargassum Unit Deploys to Sardinera, Fajardo and San Juan Coastline
DNER Secretary Waldemar Quiles confirmed deployment of the Specialized Sargassum Division to Sardinera in Fajardo, Condado, Escambrón, and the San Juan Bay entrance following unprecedented sargassum accumulations. DNER reported coastal municipalities recording concentrations at all-time highs for this century.
Source: The San Juan Daily Star. All credit to The San Juan Daily Star for original reporting.
FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIONCaribbean Journal via NOAA NCCOS · September 30, 2025
NOAA Funds Expanded Sargassum Emergency Response for Puerto Rico Through 2026.
The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Harmful Algal Bloom Event Response Program is funding expanded sargassum response activities for Puerto Rico through the 2025 season and into 2026. The NOAA-funded program, led by Mar Caribe Consulting in partnership with DNER and the Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program, is monitoring six priority coastal sites for sargassum volume, water quality impacts, and heavy metals levels in biomass. NOAA scientists are simultaneously developing recommendations for safe handling, material transfer, and alternate reuse strategies for collected sargassum.
FEDERAL RESPONSE · SEPTEMBER 2025NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science · 2025
NOAA Funds Expanded Sargassum Response in Puerto Rico Through 2026
Following Governor González-Colón's Executive Order 2025-037 declaring a state of emergency, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science funded an expansion of sargassum response activities through 2026 to supplement DNER's ongoing efforts. The 2025 season saw a record-breaking 40 million metric tons of sargassum flow through the tropical Atlantic with especially severe accumulations along Puerto Rico's coastline.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. All credit to NOAA for original reporting.
GOVERNING POLICY MANDATEOFFICIAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT
Executive Order 2025-037 · June 30, 2025. Governor González-Colón declared a state of emergency for sargassum impacts across Puerto Rico's coastline, establishing the regulatory mandate under which Reclaim Nature operates.
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHTMay 2024
Peer-Reviewed Research: Untangling the Sargassum Legal Regime in Puerto Rico.
León-Pérez, M.C., McLaughlin, R.J., Gibeaut, J.C., Carrubba, L., Colón-Rivera, R.J., et al. Marine Policy, 2024. Open Access.
A peer-reviewed study published in Marine Policy identifies the lack of clarity in Puerto Rico's sargassum legal framework as the primary barrier to effective mitigation, specifically calling out the permitting complexity surrounding boom placement and offshore barrier installation. The research, conducted through literature review, agency interviews, and a regulatory workshop, produced a permitting process flowchart co-developed with government agencies and academic representatives.
Additional press coverage and announcements coming soon.
