Holopelagic sargassum beachings in the Western Atlantic Ocean: a scoping review ranging from causes to management

Abstract 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 the 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 detection of holopelagic sargassum, localized impacts assessment and valorization studies. Conversely, this study reveals gaps and further research opportunities in better understanding the factors causing offshore sargassum proliferation, the need for larger scale monitoring and characterizing beached sargassum composition, its variability and stabilization for industrial uses, as well as the need for more precise and complete forecasting systems used in synergy with detection methods.