Since 2017, Le Floch Dépollution has been applying its maritime expertise to tackle massive sargassum strandings. With over fifty years of experience responding to marine pollution, we naturally adapted our know-how to this new environmental challenge.
Managing sargassum indeed shares many similarities with oil spills:
👉 the need for rapid, coordinated interventions
👉 the use of comparable equipment (floating barriers, small vessels, at-sea recovery systems)
👉operations conducted in highly sensitive contexts, where health, economic, social, and tourism issues are all at stake
Building on this experience, we now focus on the most operational stages: deploying barriers to divert sargassum mats and collecting the algae at sea before it reaches the shore. Originally conceived as a complete chain (from detection to valorization) our approach now adapts to local needs and capacities.
This activity continues to evolve: depending on the site and partners, we adjust our operations to balance efficiency, safety, and respect for local ecosystems.
🎯 Our goal: to minimize the impacts of sargassum on coastal areas, public health, and the local economy through a proven approach derived from maritime pollution management.
2025 - IN PROGRESS - CITY OF PETIT-BOURG, GUADELOUPE
Contract for the installation of 4,000 ml of diversion barriers in Petit-Bourg (Le Bourg & Bovis/Roujol)
Le Floch Dépollution, together with its partner Amaya, was selected by the Municipality of Petit-Bourg (Guadeloupe) for the supply, installation, and maintenance of equipment dedicated to managing sargassum along the communal coastline.
Awarded in 2025, this contract involves the deployment of floating barriers and integrated collection systems to reduce the stranding of brown algae and optimize their recovery at sea.
This new collaboration continues our commitment to coastal preservation and the protection of marine ecosystems in the French overseas territories.
2021 - PRESENTATION OF A SARGASSUM COLLECTION MAT
Our company has developed a new tool: the sargassum collection mat. A demonstration of this equipment was held on August 5, 2021, at Etang Buisson Beach in Saint-François.
2019 / 2020 - INSTALLATION OF 240 ML OF DIVERSION BARRIERS
Saint-François, Guadeloupe
At the beginning of February, we installed 240 meters of barriers at Anse Champagne in Saint-François, Guadeloupe. These barriers, used as part of the fight against sargassum, serve to divert the algae and protect the areas near the installations.
By safeguarding these zones, the barriers prevent algae from stranding there, making sieving operations unnecessary. The goal is to redirect the algae toward a collection point, where other types of equipment can then be used.
2019 - PARTICIPATION IN SARG'EXPO
We would like to thank all the visitors who came to meet us at our booth during the Sarg’Expo held from October 24 to 26, 2019 in Guadeloupe, and in particular:
- Mr. Prefect Philippe GUSTIN, Mr. Sub-Prefect Jean-Michel JUMEZ, and Gael MAGNE from the Guadeloupe Prefecture, Mr. Ary CHALUS, President of the Guadeloupe Region, Arnaud LE MENTEC and Oriane RAULET from the Guadeloupe Maritime Authority, Jean-Yves BREHMER from the Guadeloupe Lighthouse and Beacons Service, Nina CUDENNEC and Jérôme ROCH from ADEME, Willy CEI from the PULSAR Unit, Nicolas ROUGIER from DEAL Guadeloupe, Mr. Laurent BERNIER, Mayor of Saint-François, and Mr. Jean-Luc EDOM and Mr. Jean-Marc MEUNIER for their support and assistance in our initiative,
- Prime Minister Édouard PHILIPPE, Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition Elisabeth BORNE, Minister of Overseas Territories Annick GIRARDIN, and Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation Frédérique VIDAL for taking the time to meet and listen to us during their visit.
2017 - ADEME, SARGASSUM VALORIZATION STUDY
Our teams are currently working on a project funded by ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) to study the valorization of sargassum algae for the production of bio-based plastics.
Sargassum brown algae have become a major problem for Guadeloupe and Martinique, which have experienced massive sargassum strandings on their coasts in recent years. These strandings have numerous negative impacts on human health, the environment, and the local economy.
Although the algae are not inherently toxic, once they strand on beaches, they begin to decompose and release significant amounts of gas, causing odor nuisances and potential health issues.
As a result, ADEME launched a call for projects, which we were awarded, with the objective of finding viable solutions to valorize this material.