As a consequence of climate change, the algae, which is mostly located in the middle of the North Atlantic in the Sargasso Sea, has spread to other regions such as Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.

According to the Regional Secretariat for Economy, Sea, and Fisheries, the group of researchers coordinated by Marco Lobato, from the Regional Civil Protection Service, “will continue the work that is already being done on the ground, namely analyzing the impact of the sargassum outbreak that has occurred recently in seas of Madeira and Porto Santo and which have reached practically all locations along the sea”. The Secretariat also stated in a statement that “At this moment, and given the dimension of the phenomenon, the Regional Government of Madeira is implementing a joint strategy, also involving the Azores and Canary archipelagos, in order to combat these occurrences of sargassum in the seas and beaches in the regions of Macaronesia”.

The secretariat makes it clear that an assessment is being conducted to determine the bioactive potential of extracts from certain algae as antioxidants for use in the food and cosmetic industries. Moreover, the Sargassum can also be immediately put to use by being mixed into agricultural soil and used as a natural fertiliser."There are two essential aspects that are already being addressed and implemented, namely the shared responsibility for the collection [of sargassum] between regional public administration departments and municipalities, and the definition of the final destination, which should preferably involve its recovery."