To determine if nearshore in-water sargassum removal is a viable option, further research is needed to ensure that methods are ecologically sustainable

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs awarded Coral World Ocean And Reef Initiative Inc. (CWORI) a $399,510 project grant on November 6, 2025, under the Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories program (CFDA 15.875). The grant funds research to evaluate the ecological sustainability and operational feasibility of nearshore in-water sargassum removal as a mitigation strategy for sargassum inundation events (SIEs) affecting the U.S. Virgin Islands. The project will assess whether in-water removal methods are environmentally sustainable while analyzing the cost-benefit analysis of operational logistics relative to implementation effort through the grant's completion date of September 30, 2029.

This award supports CWORI's marine conservation mission by generating evidence-based findings on the efficacy and longevity of in-water sargassum removal techniques. The research outcomes will inform territorial policymakers and resource managers on the viability of this approach as a long-term mitigation strategy for recurring sargassum inundation events that impact nearshore ecosystems and coastal communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The operational logistics should be weighed against the cost and effort IT takes to execute in-water removal. Once determined, this will corroborate the efficacy and longevity of in-water removal as a mitigation strategy for sargassum inundation events (seis).