Accumulation of Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea is affecting the ecosystem, for the spiny lobster, a negative impact has been identified, population of adults is decreasing year to year. In the Mexican Caribbean Sea, this lobster is the main species for fis

To mitigate the negative impact of the Sargassum accumulation in the abundance of spiny lobsters, the working group will build artificial lobster shelters for juveniles. The shelter will be placed in three areas in the Biosphere Reserve in Banco Chinchorro (Mexican Caribbean Sea). A monitoring of shelter use by juveniles and the abundance of Sargassum, and also physicochemical values of water will be performed year to year. After the confirmation of the shelter use, shelters for adults will be integrated around the juvenile shelters to corroborate the increase of adult biomass. The abundance of juveniles will be related to abundance of Sargassum and the physicochemical vales of water. The project will be replicated in other areas where Sargassum accumulation is affecting the abundance of lobsters, with the inclusion of other fishery cooperatives in the region. This propose is leaded by the Instituto Tecnológico de Chetumal, the fishery cooperative “Pescadores del Banco Chinchorro” and the direction of the Biosphere Reserve of Banco Chinchorro.