Ritz Carlton Project to Mitigate Beach Erosion and Sargassum Buildup Approved by CZM

A project at the Ritz Carlton to mitigate twin issues of sand erosion and sargassum piling up on the beach in front of the property has been greenlit by the Coastal Zone Management Committee. On Tuesday, Amy Dempsey, one of those presenting on behalf of Ritz Carlton, said that “we’re trying to preserve the beach at Ritz Carlton ever since the 2017 hurricanes,” and told commissioners that the project under discussion was just part of those efforts. “On top of that, we’ve also got the issue of these massive amounts of sargassum coming in and impacting our beaches,” Ms. Dempsey continued, noting that sargassum removal efforts can also result in the loss of beach sand. In response, the Ritz Carlton has been testing the deployment of sargassum barriers, recently settling on the most suitable offshore location. Additionally, devices called “geo tubes” have also been utilized along the shoreline. “Their intent is to act as speedbumps, basically,” said Ms. Dempsey, trapping sand on shore and...