In 2016 we told you about Denis Jimenez's project to clean the oceans . In 2022, the project became a reality and The Ocean Cleaner (the company) launched the Sargaboat, a boat capable of collecting sargassum at sea.
Sargassum, these algae that drift are a real scourge for the Caribbean Sea. It piles up on the coasts, killing the fauna and flora, and rots releasing dangerous gases for the population. It is important to harvest them before they reach the coast. Indeed, these algae completely asphyxiate the underwater life by depriving it of light. In addition, by collecting the seaweed at sea, it is collected fresh, at a stage where it can still be recycled.
To operate, the Sargaboat is a catamaran that concentrates the waste between its hulls and takes it out of the water on a conveyor belt. A kind of autonomous trailer (the Sargatrailer) comes at the back to collect the seaweed and unload it on land. By changing the trailer once full, the Sargaboat continues its cleaning without interruption. To work with the Sargaboat, the seaweed is previously contained at sea by booms.
Of course, the ultimate solution would be to discover the origin of these algae and to limit their creation at the source, but in the meantime, this cleaning solution preserves the marine life and thus protects the health and a source of income for the inhabitants.
