Forecastable Sargassum blooms are not automatic carbon removal: a policy triage framework for habitat, coastal risk and biomass use

Summary

Recent work suggests that the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is not only a recurring coastal nuisance but a partly predictable offshore biomass system. This Comment argues that such predictability should be used for policy triage, not for automatic carbon removal claims. Sargassum may be an offshore habitat, a nearshore hazard, wet waste, feedstock or possible carbon management material depending on its location, timing and final fate. Forecasts can therefore support practical decisions about whether to leave biomass offshore, harvest it selectively, convert it under verified conditions or dispose of it safely. The proposed framework clarifies the minimum evidence needed before Sargassum management is described as blue carbon or marine carbon dioxide removal.