Algae-free summer on Algarve beaches? European project promises to do this by this date

A European project led by Spanish researchers will monitor the arrival of the invasive Asian alga Rugulopteryx okamurae to the southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Algarve. The objective is to understand the scale of the phenomenon, anticipate the impacts and improve the management of affected beaches.

The initiative, which will be active until the end of the year, covers the coast from Andalusia to the south of Portugal and uses satellite observation technology. According to the EFE agency, the project is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia, integrated into the CSIC, and has Portuguese and French partners.

Surveillance system from space

According to the same source, the project will use images from the European Sentinel-2 satellite to analyze the spatio-temporal trends in the arrival of this macroalgae on beaches. The work will also make it possible to quantify the impacts accumulated over the last decade.

“These data will make it possible to improve operational management in the affected areas”, says the same source, adding that the information collected will serve as a basis for the development of a digital platform for continuous monitoring of the algae.

The Algarve at the center of research

The project involves the University of Algarve and the French institute IFREMER. According to the same source, the inclusion of Portuguese territory results from the progressive expansion of the algae along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Rugulopteryx okamurae was first detected in Ceuta in 2015 and quickly spread across much of the Spanish coast, reaching Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and Italy, the agency writes.

The expansion of this invasive algae has had significant effects on several sectors. According to data cited by EFE, artisanal fishing catches in the Strait of Gibraltar have decreased by more than half since the beginning of proliferation. The same source also mentions impacts on aquaculture, tourism and municipal finances, as municipalities are forced to bear the costs of removing tons of biomass accumulated on beaches.

Anticipate arrivals

The project, called RugOBSS, aims to create the first regional quantification of the magnitude of algae arrivals. This analysis will combine satellite images, field observations and data on biomass removed in the most affected municipalities since 2016.

“The pilot platform will offer key information for administrations and managers”, explains Mar Roca Mora, project coordinator, cited by the agency, highlighting the importance of objective data to calculate economic compensations and streamline support for algae removal.

Predict to act faster

The study will also assess whether the combination of wind, wave and current data can make it possible to anticipate the arrival of floating algae on beaches. According to the researcher, this prediction would reduce the ecological impact and make removal faster and less expensive.

“This would allow for the removal of higher quality biomass for the development of bioproducts”, adds Mar Roca Mora, according to the same source, pointing to a possible commercial valorization as part of the solution.

A project with a deadline and political context

The project is scheduled to start in mid-April, with a public meeting in Cádiz. According to , preliminary results will be presented and a space for dialogue will be opened with administrations, environmental organizations and companies.

The researcher emphasizes that the project responds to an urgent need to understand the invasion on a regional scale. This urgency led Andalusia and Portugal to publish, in July 2025, specific management plans for this invasive species.

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