Smail helps coordinate workshop to address excess seaweed and oil spill challenges

In recent years, the Caribbean region has faced challenges from oil spills and an influx of floating sargassum seaweed. Experts from United Nations entities, academia, governments, private companies and international initiatives met at the Ministry of Education in Mexico City in early May to discuss the development of a region-wide system for monitoring and forecasting oil spills and sargassum. The workshop was organized in part by GEO Blue Planet, an initiative that ensures the sustained development and use of ocean and coastal observations for the benefit of society. ESSIC senior faculty specialist Emily Smail is the Blue Planet scientific coordinator.