DNER begins sargassum removal process in Fajardo.

Since last February, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has been making preparations for the 2026 sargassum season.

By THE STAR STAFF

Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez announced Sunday that he has dispatched technical personnel from the Specialized Sargassum Unit -- attached to the Assistant Secretariat for Conservation and Research -- to the Las Croabas area in Fajardo following sightings of a significant sargassum influx in the zone.

“As you know, last year this area was one of the most heavily impacted by sargassum,” Quiles said in a written statement. “In response, we have dispatched technical personnel from the Specialized Sargassum Unit; they are scheduled to arrive in Fajardo within the next 48 hours to begin assessing the parameters of the event and, subsequently, to initiate removal operations.”

“DNER teams are expected to arrive in Las Croabas within the coming days to begin cleanup operations,” the official added.

Since February, the DNER has been making preparations for the 2026 sargassum season with efforts that include the refurbishment of heavy machinery and vessels -- known as “sargaceras” -- used for the collection of the seaweed that is a type of brown macroalgae.