Office of the Commissioner 
 
CONTACT: Jamal Nielsen, Media Relations Coordinator 
Jamal.nielsen@dpnr.vi.gov 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 
 
DPNR ISSUES MONTHLY SARGASSUM UPDATE 
 
As sargassum clumps and mats continue to move into the territory, Commissioner of the Department 
of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Jean-Pierre L. Oriol on behalf of the Division of Fish and 
Wildlife (DFW) reminds the public  of steps they can take to protect themselves in what is predicted 
to be a record high year for accumulation at the territory’s beaches. 
 
“When the brown, free-floating algae reaches the shore and begins to decompose, it releases 
hydrogen sulfide, which produces a strong ‘rotten egg’ odor and causes eye, nose, throat, and 
respiratory irritation, particularly for individuals with asthma,” Oriol said. “Avoiding beaches with 
large amounts of decaying sargassum is the best method of prevention.” 
 
Beachfront businesses facing large amounts of nuisance sargassum are also invited to request 
authorization for mechanical removal from the Divisions of Fish & Wildlife and Coastal Zone 
Management. Deployment of containment booms requires a permit from the Army Corps of 
Engineers. DFW also provides required training to ensure removal efforts follow ecological best 
practices and comply with Virgin Islands Code.  
 
“The trend in the last few months has continued, resulting in increased Sargassum amounts in every 
region shown on the map. Nearly every region also continued to see record-high Sargassum amount 
for the month of April,” according to a lab report released on April 30 by the University of South 
Florida College of Marine Science’s Optical Oceanography Lab. The lab has collaborated with DPNR-
DFW, the University of South Florida, and regional partners through support from the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms 
Research 
Program 
at 
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-
sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/. 
 
Daily reports can be viewed through NOAA’s Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR) tool has been updated 
to 
provide 
daily 
reports, 
 thanks 
to 
this 
partnership 
as 
part 
of 
CoastWatch 
at https://cwcgom.aoml.noaa.gov/SIR/. 
 
DPNR will continue issuing these monthly updates via press release. 
 
For more information, visit dpnr.vi.gov or contact: Division of Fish and Wildlife:  
• St. Croix: (340) 773-1082  
• St. Thomas: (340) 774-3320  
• Email: DFWElectronic@usvi.onmicrosoft.com  
GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 
----------------- 
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES 
            4611 Tutu Park Mall  
 
              45 Mars Hill, Frederiksted 
            Suite 300, 2nd Floor 
                                       St. Croix, VI 00840 
            St. Thomas, VI  00802                                                       (340) 773-1082 
            (340) 774-3320   
 
                                                    dpnr.vi.gov