MIAMI, FLA — Scientists at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science are testing an innovative, nature-based approach to address the massive sargassum blooms fouling South Florida’s coastlines: deploying black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to digest the invasive seaweed into high-value agricultural and aquaculture products.
Supported by over $320,000 in seed grants from Florida Sea Grant and the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management, the research aims to redesign how coastal communities handle recurring seaweed inundations. When sargassum washes ashore in vast quantities, its uncontrolled decomposition releases foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, disrupts local tourism, and incurs high cleanup costs for municipalities.
Instead of trucking tons of rotting seaweed to landfills, researchers intend to transform the environmental burden into economic utility. Black soldier fly larvae are highly efficient biological decomposers capable of rapidly consuming organic substrates. In controlled rearing systems developed at the Rosenstiel School’s Aquaculture Nutrition and Biotechnology Laboratory, the larvae ingest plant material and convert it into protein-rich insect biomass within weeks.
The resulting insect meal serves as a sustainable, low-carbon alternative to traditional fishmeal used in aquaculture and animal feed. Furthermore, the byproduct left behind by the larvae—known as frass—acts as a nutrient-dense organic fertilizer that can replenish agricultural soil and reduce reliance on synthetic alternatives.
A primary focus of the study involves addressing chemical risks. Sargassum often contains heavy metals, particularly inorganic arsenic absorbed from ocean waters. Collaborating with Helena Soto-Gabriele, a professor at the University of Miami College of Engineering, the team is evaluating how BSFL and other decomposers, such as worms, process and partition contaminants. The goal is to ensure toxic compounds are isolated and prevented from entering the animal feed supply or leaching into surrounding soil and groundwater.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to secure additional funding to build modular, containerized BSFL processing units. These mobile systems could be deployed directly to affected beaches, enabling coastal towns to turn a persistent environmental nuisance into locally manufactured aquafeed and fertilizer.
Source:Feed and Additive
