Sargassum beachings challenges in the Western Atlantic A scoping review

Over the past decade, recurrent Sargassum beaching events have become a significant ecological and socio-economic concern across the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, particularly affecting Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence related to these beachings, with the goal of synthesizing current knowledge, identifying key themes and highlighting research gaps. Through a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed and grey literature, the review reveals a rapidly expanding but uneven body of research, with concentrations in the in the detection of Sargassum, localized impacts assessment and valorization studies.