NEPA confirms substance on Clarendon beach is seaweed, not oil
Toriann Ellis / Our Today
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The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has confirmed that the oily-looking substance recently seen along Farquhar Beach in Clarendon is not petroleum-based, but rather an accumulation of seaweed and sargassum.
In a statement, NEPA explained that sargassum is a free-floating brown seaweed found only in the Atlantic Ocean, with two species common across the Caribbean. It drifts with ocean currents and serves as an important habitat and food source for a variety of marine species, including fish, turtles, and whales.
While sargassum can play a beneficial role in coastal ecosystems by aiding beach nourishment, NEPA cautioned that excessive accumulations may lead to beach erosion and fish kills as the seaweed decomposes.
The agency’s clarification followed reports from concerned residents who observed what appeared to be an oily film on the shoreline, along with dead fish and lobsters washing ashore.
Anthony McKenzie, NEPA’s Director of Environmental Management and Conservation, said that investigations carried out on Saturday found no evidence of oil contamination.
“Sargassum, especially when it begins to decompose, can look like oil from a distance, and the recent hurricane may have pushed them to that area,” McKenzie said. “However, based on the site visit and tests conducted, there is no indication of oil.”
He noted that since 2011, the Caribbean has been grappling with recurring blooms of sargassum, affecting coastal areas such as the Portland Bight in Clarendon and the Palisadoes strip in Kingston.
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