The Sargasso Sea is known as the ‘Golden Floating Rainforest of the Ocean’. It is located within the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre, and is the only sea without coasts, for only the islands of Bermuda lie within it. The floating Sargassum seaweed hosts an iconic ecosystem, a diverse community of associated organisms that include ten endemic species and provides the only breeding location for European (critically endangered) and American eels (endangered).
The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently included the Sargasso Sea in a list of “the truly iconic treasures our deep oceans harbour, [to] inspire their possible future protection as part of our global heritage legacy of humankind. [The Sargasso’s] global importance derives from a combination of physical and oceanographic structures, its complex pelagic ecosystems, and its role in global ocean and earth system processes” (UNESCO, 2016).
Despite the remote location, the Sargasso Sea faces many threats from fishing, plastics, shipping traffic and vessel discharge as well as climate change. The protection of the vulnerable Sargasso Sea ecosystem cannot wait – we must act.
I have made it my goal to stand up for Sargasso by stand-up paddle-boarding twice (roughly 80 miles) around Bermuda in 24 hours to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the Sargasso Sea. While doing this I also hope to raise money for the Sargasso Sea Commission, who have made it their mission to protect the Sargasso Sea.
I invite anyone in Bermuda in June (the exact date is weather dependent), who is interested in the protection of the Sargasso Sea, to join me on the journey to help raise awareness of the importance of protecting this vulnerable ocean ecosystem.
By following along on social media using #StandUpForSargasso, you will see firsthand what the Sargasso Sea has to offer.
Your donation will support the Sargasso Sea Project, Inc., a registered U.S. charity which financially supports the Sargasso Sea Commission in its mission to conserve the Sargasso and its resources.
For more information about the Sargasso Sea Commission, please visit: http://www.sargassoseacommission.org.