The Sargassum Podcast : interview with the founder of Sargassum Monitoring®

Here is a better transcript of the video text :

Franziska: Hello everyone! How are you? It’s been months since we had a conversation in French. So, Clio, how is it in France?

Clio: Yes, it’s nice to see you; it’s been a long time! I’m in Paris, France. Indeed, there are quite a few protests going on right now. It’s a fairly intense social climate, but above all, today on March 8, 2023, it’s International Women’s Day, so I’m pleased to join you for the Sargassum Podcast, for an exclusively female interview. I’m doing well. I’m in Paris for my doctorate, so a bit far from you all, but I’m okay. And, how about you?

Franziska: I’m doing well, I’ve returned to Mexico. I was in Saint Vincent (and the Grenadines) for 6 weeks for work and it went very well. A lot of work on water, dealing with sargassum, to build a floating barrier, and it went well. And Florence, are you in Martinique?

Florence: Yes, hello everyone. I arrived in Martinique the day before yesterday, and here too the social climate is quite tense. Moreover, there are a lot of sargassum arrivals, and precisely we are going to talk about it with Christine today. For example, there was an evacuation of schools on the Atlantic coast of Martinique. I am also particularly happy to discuss it with you today on March 8th.

Clio: So today we have the pleasure of welcoming Christine Jimenez-Mariani for an interview. Hello Christine!

Christine: Hello, hello girls, women, sorry.

Clio: Well, I’ll introduce you briefly to set the stage before we start the interview. So Christine Jimenez-Mariani is a former sailor, always sensitive to environmental issues and marine pollution. Since 2013, she has been living in the Riviera Maya in Mexico, regularly encountering sargassum. In 2015, in order to obtain information from the source of knowledge, she contacted researcher Brian Lapointe who has been a specialist in these algae for over 40 years at Florida Atlantic University. He explained that this phenomenon is just beginning and that if nothing is done, a catastrophe is on the way, with serious consequences expected for many years. Voluntary and active in this fight, Christine participates in conferences. In 2018, she then created Sargassum Monitoring®. Her total involvement and the data she gathers give her the privilege of participating in all “sargassum work meetings” from Cancun to Tulum. With almost 10 years of experience, she sifts through information expertly before sharing it with all her advice on social networks and during interviews. We are delighted to welcome you today Christine, welcome!

Christine: Thank you very much.

Franziska: So, Christine, there’s a question we ask everyone, and it is: what does sargassum mean to you?

Christine: Well, sargassum for me, scientifically speaking, even though I’m not a scientist, is still a category of algae that contains hundreds of species. So, we tend to generalize, to use the term “sargassum” when referring to those that concern us, but in reality, it’s a category that encompasses many. On the other hand, for me, it’s a paradox because it’s something created by nature, and yet it’s something we have to fight against at the moment.

Florence: Thank you, Christine, for your response. What gave you the idea to launch the sargassum monitoring website?

Christine: What gave me the idea, well, we could say it was social media. Naturally, living in the region, I joined some groups and networks in the area to get information, and I noticed a recurrence in certain questions. Many tourists, regardless of their origin, were asking where the beaches with sargassum were and what sargassum was. It was really at the very beginning. I had started to become interested because I myself, being in Puerto Morelos at that time, had encountered these algae on the beach and in the water. So, I did a little research. I found that it wasn’t really normal (these arrivals) and I read all these questions on social media, but I noticed that people weren’t getting answers. There was real anger because all these people are inevitably tourists who sometimes have invested a lot of money. Some saved for several years to afford their dream trip, sometimes even for their wedding. Absolutely no one was answering their questions. Or they were told it’ a fake, or that there had only been it in one place and then it had disappeared. I thought, this is not possible, I’m here so I will at least inform them about the place where I live. The idea wasn’t to scare them, it was just to say yes, on such a day there were arrivals, or on such a day there weren’t. So, I just wanted to present the facts, to reassure them or to warn them. I looked everywhere, this kind of information didn’t exist. It was more recurrent not to answer people, to this very specific question. For me, it wasn’t very normal, not very correct. It’s not a way to communicate with tourists. So, I just wanted to answer their questions. At first, I created two maps, because I wondered how to share the information effectively. I created one map with green dots and one map with red dots. One map to indicate where there were no sargassum and one map to indicate where the sargassum was. People immediately embraced it, I was the first surprised. They immediately went to consult the maps, and they asked me for even more images, always more dates. So, that’s where it started, from the public’s questioning.

Florence: So you talk about the public, but then what audience was targeted?

Christine: At first, it was mainly aimed at tourists, since they were the ones asking the questions. And then it evolved, and the map expanded. Later on, I abandoned the map with the green dots because it was time-consuming. Reporting places without algae in the Caribbean is huge! So, I thought I would limit myself to indicating places with algae. With this map that exclusively shows sargassum, the audience didn’t change, it evolved. So, after tourists, mainly, scientists also asked to consult the data, even wanting me to enrich it so they could use it in their research. Governments gradually came in, as did interested hotel groups wanting to see what was happening next door (with their competition). There were also journalists. In fact, it affected a lot of people, including individuals (and businesses) working on developing prediction tools. Météo France uses my maps as a verification site, after establishing their sargassum weather projections. NASA contacted me to request the data to develop certain products. And always a growing audience, especially in terms of tourism. They mostly come from the United States and Canada (then Mexico and France etc.). As I was saying, it’s a small informational tool that has become a huge tool useful to a lot of people, and that makes me very happy.

Clio: As for gathering information, data, since it has taken on a larger scale, does this mean there’s more information, a denser data flow than at the beginning I imagine?

Christine: Of course, at the beginning I really had to be very clever to find images. I started out basic. I quickly discovered hotel webcams, so I used them. But webcams aren’t everywhere, and to tell the truth, some hotels that realized I was using their webcam prefer to shut them down when there’s sargassum. That way, I no longer have access to the images (and neither do the tourists). In fact, what takes up the most of my time, during intense influx periods like right now, is searching for images on all social networks and the internet; I spend 10 to 15 hours a day, every day! Now that the map is quite popular, people send me images. I have individuals who, when they are on vacation, regularly send me images. Additionally, I forgot earlier, tour operators and travel organizers also extensively use the map to advise their clients. In return, they also advise clients to send me photos. This tool also helps them, to guide tourists. It has become necessary. I think it’s necessary to the point that I was contacted by an insurance company that wanted to have an idea of the problem, in order to offer, in the future, sargassum insurance to travelers. So information needs to circulate in order to avoid ending up with many people who may demand a refund for their stay.

Clio: So you’re the originator of a real sargassum information platform. The question that arises is: why is it important to have an independent service that informs people about sargassum arrivals and presence on beaches? Why is it necessary for you to be truly independent?

Christine: Let’s say that with me (thanks to my independence), there are no stakes behind it. I don’t sell anything, I don’t rent anything, I don’t have a business, I don’t have accommodation to rent out, I’m not working for a hotel group (or a government!). It also takes up a lot of my time because I am very vigilant about the information (to disseminate). Just because I receive a photo of a sargassum-flooded beach, doesn’t mean I’ll automatically publish it. I will check first. Because I am a former sailor, I know the winds and currents. I will first check the possibility, I will see if there are other pieces of information in that area, which allows me to verify that there is a real influx. Because, it has happened before, that I receive images of a competitor’s hotel where the beach is supposedly flooded, when it’s actually old photos. We’ll say this practice is “fair game”. It can’t be done without very vigilant monitoring behind it; otherwise we’re heading towards something we can’t control. Misinformation/information is something that drives the world; we also find it in the sargassum domain. So being independent allows me not to be under pressure or have an interest, so it creates a climate of trust. As a result, people write to me to ask for advice to plan their vacation for next Christmas. They ask me for very long-term forecasts. This relationship is friendly, but I am obliged to restrain them, to reply that it’s not possible to answer. I can make an estimate within 10/15 days, because of my sailing experience, just as I can estimate an arrival towards a direction, but in no case I can say to which precise point. But still, there is this trust that is established, and people also thank me a lot. That’s something that makes me very happy. So they come because they trust, that’s the word that comes up every time. So my independence is precious.

Franziska: Wow, that’s really impressive! I have a question, you mentioned that you’re going to check all the photos, you’re going to see if the arrivals are fresh. So, is all the work you do manual? And if someone sends you a photo, you don’t automatically put it on the map, do you?

Christine: No, I try (to check everything). I’m not perfect, I try. I read all the information. Like most of you, I’m part of the SargNet. So I also receive certain information. I consult NASA’s maps, maps from other websites like CONABIO, just to name a few, but well, there are others. It gives me an idea of the arrivals. I also consult the wind map, the current map, just like before setting sail with our sailboat; we would check the weather forecasts for crossing the Atlantic or crossing the Caribbean. That helps a lot. And the sea, like for a boat, it carries the algae. They take the same route. It’s something familiar to me. So, I study all this and I manage to estimate, fairly reliably, which area is going to be affected. For example, this week I was sent images from Martinique; it’s a coast that is not at all accustomed to receiving sargassum, the west coast, in the center. These images came from a journalist, a correspondent, it was Carbet and then another source sent me other photos of this place. At first, I thought, wait, this is a joke, or the person made a mistake. Or there’s an error in the name, because in Martinique and Guadeloupe there are often regions with similar names, like naming the “anse”. So I thought, I really need to check these incoming images. Is there another place called Carbet? It takes a lot of time before deciding to share the photos. And then I analyze the images to know where to post them. If I see a small steeple, the name of a shop, I will verify that it is the right place. The Internet is a super useful tool, if I see the name of a shop, I do a search and check that it’s the same village or town name. I also check the color of the sand. It’s really something a robot can’t do. If we want to disseminate true information, it requires a lot of vigilance. But to err is human, I can make mistakes. As I said, I’m all alone managing Sargassum Monitoring®, so sometimes someone might tell me, you made a mistake. Or I misinterpreted (the information) because not everything is in my language. It can be in Spanish, German, and English; sometimes I can misinterpret a word, an expression. When someone writes “a morning on the beach” I might understand “this morning on the beach”, when it could have been yesterday. In that case, I remove the image. It always requires some thought. But there are areas like Tulum/Cancun/Playa del Carmen that are more familiar to me. There, I know if there are arrivals, I’m in it. I also have friends on the beach; they can confirm the info for me. My map covers 30 Caribbean countries. I often tell people that I can’t be everywhere; they really need to specify the location.

Franziska: How many photos do you receive per day?

Christine: For one day, let’s say 30 and more. I post an average of about thirty red dots on the map. Let me specify, the yellow dots are videos and the red dots are photos. Generally, there is at least one photo per dot, but often there are several.

Florence: How do people contact you to send photos?

Christine: They can post in one of the 3 Sargassum Monitoring® Facebook groups:

1/ The general group that concerns all affected countries:

Sargassum Monitoring® official Sargassum Seaweed Updates & Forecasts

2/ The group for Mexico:

Sargassum Monitoring® Seaweed Updates Cancun, PDC, Tulum, Puerto Morelos

3/ The group for the Dominican Republic:

Sargassum Monitoring® Seaweed Updates Dominican Republic – Punta Cana

They can notify me on Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, as well as on the Sargassum Monitoring® YouTube channel.

They can also send the images via private message, or ask me for the email address. I’m happy to provide it. I try to be easily accessible; I am in demand for information, so I must make it easier for those who participate.

Florence: Approximately how many photos do you receive per day during periods of massive seaweed strandings, for example?

Christine: I’m not sure, right now about twenty per day, plus videos. It’s not yet the most significant source. Mainly, I am the one who searches for the images. Paradoxically, everyone needs the information, everyone uses it, but once on vacation at the beach, tourists forget to take their own photos (and share them). It’s a long process to tell them, you’ve consulted the sargassum map, you’ve come to social media to ask for news, now you’re on the beach or you’ll be there next week, don’t forget to send your own photos. That’s a big job, but little by little I’m getting there.

Clio: On one question, you mentioned that the photos on the page mainly come from participants’ submissions, from people who are on-site and who share their photos, but you also mentioned that you are behind the most extensive daily research; in fact, you do daily photo monitoring. Indeed, you can’t be everywhere, and you already live in a region affected by sargassum arrivals. The question we can ask is, when you do your research, do you focus more on the Mexico region, or do you search globally? How do you manage it, because it’s a densely geographical area? How do you monitor the daily photos of sargassum arrivals on all the coasts, which are quite jagged, not linear like Martinique?

Christine: Well, that brings up several questions. It must be known that some people criticize me for the map not being up-to-date. Sometimes I’m also criticized for not covering every square centimeter of all the jagged coasts and coves in the Caribbean. I try to make them understand that I’m absolutely not everywhere, I don’t have that gift. So, research takes a lot of time. I’m up at 5:30 in the morning and start my day with beach webcams that are already visible due to the time difference, for example, Barbados with the early morning sun. I end with the area where I live, the Riviera Maya, where the sun is just rising. Then I search everywhere, absolutely everywhere. It can be in newspapers, I type keywords, hashtags. It’s true that it would be useful if people used hashtags on their images (#sargassum for example). I’m in almost all the social media groups dedicated to sargassum, including the one on turtle rescue in Antigua. Because often, the people who save stranded sea turtles in the algae take photos and share them. For me, it tells me that on that day, that bay was invaded by sargassum. As I said earlier, you have to be cunning to find the images where they are. I go on hotel groups, TripAdvisor, it takes hours and hours. That’s all the work to maximize the sargassum map. That’s why I’d like to expand the team. Because when you cover about thirty countries like this, all year round, as the phenomenon now lasts all year, to offer maximum information, there should be more people with me. People who would be assigned to such a country; such a zone; and who would help encourage the sharing of images, videos, etc. Two years ago, I received photos from the Seychelles. We talk about it less, but there is still a variety of sargassum that creates the same phenomenon as in the Caribbean. It was a hotel that sent me the photos. When I broadcast them, I was told they were fake. I replied that it was impossible because the hotel had sent them directly to me. There are people in Israel who send photos, people from all over. I have some images from Mauritius that are coming in, and people write to me, “please, make sure the information reaches the scientists because we’re starting to get invaded too.” Some are coming from Brazil. This week I received some from French Guiana. The site is starting to be known, so I receive more and more. It pleases me, but yes, it would require a real structure because it’s starting to take too much time for me to respond (properly) to the demand. I would need a team and more significant resources now.

Florence: Exactly, how do you envision the structuring of this team, because right now you are alone, and you are a volunteer, if I understand correctly, there is no funding?

Christine: Yes, exactly, no funding! It’s just my little computer and me, that’s it! How do I envision it? Well, I was recently contacted; it could be interesting for me. Two people, one of whom is more focused on new technology and could therefore make my task easier, perhaps. We could automate the search with keywords in newspapers, on the internet. (To date, there has been no follow-up to this potential collaboration). Because I also read a lot to stay informed and inform people. You have to know that I don’t just share photos of sargassum; I also share information on this subject, not all of it obviously. As Clio mentioned in the introduction, in Mexico, I was part of the “mesa de trabajo” and I also met with scientists like Brigitta Van Tussenbroek and Brian Lapointe. Some things are a bit far-fetched, here I allow myself to censor. I won’t talk about a sargassum-based drink distributed in a certain hotel. That kind of information I don’t share. I keep up with technological advancements, so it would be good, for example, to have someone on my team who specializes in all the technologies being tested or used for harvesting, to highlight the best methods available, because all of this is data that I also collect. Since I’ve been dealing with sargassum for so long, I know what equipment works and what doesn’t. I would also need someone to help me because I’m not multilingual. I use my computer, Deepl, Google Translate, etc. to read and understand information and emails that come from all over the world. In addition to showcasing emerging technologies, we could also address the evolution of scientific research, which I receive in reports (via SARGNET). It’s a bit like Chinese to me, but well, it allows me to stay informed in order to better inform and share information. That’s also the usefulness of Sargassum Monitoring®, and I’m very happy about it. At the very beginning of the adventure, by “navigating” in several languages, I quickly realized that countries were not aware that they were so numerous to be impacted. Each one, France on one side, Barbados on the other, Mexico and the others, each one was conducting its own experiments, its own research. I realized that with barely a small time difference, everyone was actually doing the same things, including making the same mistakes. Like installing certain oil boom floating barriers that invariably ended up smashed on the shore. Everyone was doing it! They just installed barriers of different colors. After the creation of Sargassum Monitoring®, there was an awareness. We were able to visualize the extent of the phenomenon and became aware of the number of impacted areas. So, it would be good for Sargassum Monitoring® to have a team to address the subject, whether for scientific notes or technical notes, photos, and people dedicated to this or that region. That’s kind of how I envision the evolution of Sargassum Monitoring®. Having a team with people more specialized, to handle the information, in languages other than mine.

Franziska: Wow! Yes, I think maybe interns would be interested. So, dear listeners, if you’re interested in working with Christine, as an intern or for a longer period, contact Christine on social media! That would be great. Christine, have you noticed any changes in recent years? Have the sargassum arrivals on the beach changed?

Christine: Yes, inevitably. We have seen that the phenomenon has shifted from seasonal to annual. As a sailor, it doesn’t surprise me. As I mentioned earlier, I crossed the Atlantic several times on my own sailboats and I know the sea. The second sargassum sea is in a zone that is warmer, and especially warm all year round. Although an article announces that temperature doesn’t matter, I say it does, it matters for reproduction. The first sargassum sea is located in a zone with a cold season that slowed down growth, and we could see that there was a period with fewer algae. The second sargassum sea is located in the intertropical convergence zone, and we can see that it is a more favorable zone for them to develop all year round (you can see it by consulting the photos and arrival dates on the old Sargassum Monitoring® maps, archived on the website). So, yes, there has been a change. I believe there is a recent scientific report written by Rosa Rodriguez from UNAM, if I remember correctly, where she writes that under optimal conditions, sargassum can double in volume in 5 days. So yes, there is an evolution, and I also see it in the photos. And what I also see is the management of sargassum, the erosion it causes on the beaches. That, too, is an evolution! When you’re in the photos all day, especially through webcams that are fixed images in certain places, and for a long time, you can see with the naked eye the disappearance of the beaches, everywhere where poor sargassum removal management is problematic.

Florence: You introduced yourself as a non-scientist, and since you started this work of monitoring and disseminating a lot of scientific content, has your relationship with science changed? When you introduce yourself, do you present yourself more as an engaged citizen for disseminating scientific and non-scientific information or as a navigator? Since the beginning of setting up this network, how do you present yourself?

Christine: Well, it’s all of that which makes me who I am! I can’t categorize myself into one box or another. It’s my life experience; it’s all of that which has led me to do what I’m doing now! Because I was a navigator, everything related to the sea touches me, everything that happens in the water, under the water, on the water. My husband, my sons, and I lived for a few years on our own sailboats (they were our homes). We didn’t stay in ports, we really crossed the ocean, the seas, we lived on the water, sometimes under the water, and we were nourished by the water (we also drank sea water). So, the sea itself is something that we have in our hearts, in our guts as they say in France. So inevitably, my navigator side comes out. It’s also this experience that makes me able to read a wind map (and ocean currents). I’m not saying at all that I’m a scientist, which would be false. However, I’m someone who has always loved to read and when I’m passionate about something, I’m all in! So, indeed, reading all the scientific reports, combined with my logic and personal experience, all of that allows me to digest the information and disseminate it to people who are in demand. I am passionate about what I do, I can discuss it for hours, I can mention people, especially since I had the chance to knock on the right doors from the beginning. I knocked on Bryan Lapointe’s door (Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University) whom I discovered on the internet. At that time, he had been studying sargassum for over 35 years, so now it’s been over 40 years. For me, he was the best door! The contact was immediate, he is a very open man who loves his job. So the exchange was fruitful. Then, I met Brigitta Van Tussenbroek (a scientist at UNAM, Mexico) who worked closer to where I live. I would have liked to participate in various sargassum symposiums in the Caribbean, but well, I can’t afford those trips. I tried to follow international conferences to see the phenomenon as a whole. Then, I synthesize all this information and try to disseminate it as accurately as possible, so that it is useful to all the people who feel concerned. I assume that scientists appreciate it when we show the evolution or the result of their work. People like to read these results; they see that everyone is working towards finding solutions. As for governments, it’s the same, we like to know what they are doing, how taxpayers’ money is being used, whether for research or for materials. There is a real expectation on that side too. I try to give the best possible answers, while not being a scientist at all. I don’t want to take the place of others.

Florence: It’s very interesting because it’s true, we see all your work of appropriation of science and your huge work of scientific mediation where you can make the link between scientists and the general public. So that’s a truly remarkable job, thank you.

Christine: Thank you. I think it’s important because when you don’t give the real information, you lose time. Everyone loses time. So anger is triggered among tourists, those who are on the beach and feel like the problem is not being taken seriously. I think it’s really important to convey the information and I think everyone is ultimately happy. And me first! At least I’m doing something useful, at least for the sea!

Florence: But don’t you feel that at first it was more aimed at the tourist public and that ultimately, now, it also affects a lot of locals? I see it especially on social media, in Martinique for example. There are many locals who are concerned and interested in the information you disseminate. So, hasn’t there also been an evolution of the public and their expectations?

Christine: Exactly! That’s what I was saying earlier. It started with tourists and it ends up being for everyone. Either these people are just interested in the phenomenon, or it’s because they are affected, like people who live on the coast. The other day I had an interview with an American journalist. She came back from vacation in Mexico, where she discovered the phenomenon. When she got home, she realized that in the United States, no one knew about the problem. She wants to do a report on it, so she needed information to warn and alert public opinion. This contributes to spreading the information. That’s what I like too, by conveying the information in this way, by trying not to spread just anything, we contribute to more and more people becoming aware of the problem. Because we talk about people, about the impact on people who live on the coast, but you are all like me, aware of the problem, of its impact on fauna and flora, on health, and on materials. So, the more we talk about it, the more it will motivate people. In order to move forward, to see this problem resolved, which is still due to human pollution!

Franziska: I’m sorry, I have to leave in a few minutes. I think it was very very interesting to talk with you Christine, and I think we’ve asked all our questions. Do Florence and Clio have more questions?

Florence/Clio: No, that’s all, no more questions.

Franziska: Christine, that was very, very interesting.

Christine: Thank you, Franziska. Have a great day and thank you all.

Florence: Thank you very much, Christine, thank you for your work.

Christine: Thank you, I wish you all a happy International Women’s Day, and please feel free to share any information with me if you have any.

Clio: Thank you very much for everything you do.

Christine: Thank you, it’s only natural. Everyone here works on sargassum, and it’s a good cause. I’m very proud to be part of this International Team!

Franziska, Florence, Clio, and Christine: Goodbye!

Clio: Florence, what did you think of today’s interview with Christine, who is behind Sargassum Monitoring®? It’s true that we’ve heard about it, but we hadn’t necessarily put a face to this website. For me, it had been a long time since I had seen this site, but I never would have imagined that it was a single woman who was behind the colossal organization of this website. So what did you think of all that?

Florence: Yes, I’m also impressed to know that a citizen, a sailor, passionate about the sea, could accomplish all this work. Connecting so many countries, 30 Caribbean countries, working 10 to 15 hours a day during periods of major influx, and all this from Mexico, to identify all the points impacted by sargassum throughout the entire Caribbean. By gathering information from newspapers, the information she receives, images, etc. I am truly impressed by this citizen engagement, really done to better inform. So that, as she said, more and more people become aware of this issue. I am impressed by all this scientific appropriation work and this mediation work that she does daily and has been doing for many years.

Clio: For 10 years! Since the beginning, well, almost the beginning. I completely agree with everything you said, and I would also add the fact that she has this desire to do a good job and to verify what is published, and to be worthy of the trust of the people who make the site have so many visits. I think we can see it on the website, it’s about a million annually (+12 million consultations since the creation of Sargassum Monitoring®. +6 million consultations for the year 2023 alone), so it’s really a lot. In fact, she is really there every day, to check the photos she receives, to go get the photos where she hasn’t received any, to verify if the photo is properly referenced and if it corresponds to the indicated geographical area, and to check the date. And there, she also puts all her sailing expertise to work to use her logic, is it possible that there are sargassum at such a place? Is it not an error? So, I find it truly incredible on the scale of a huge geographical area, that a single person does this work daily to make this website work and to allow its users to have information that no one else offers on this scale today. There are very regional scales, it exists, but not on the scale of the Caribbean. Plus, it’s done on a volunteer basis, out of passion, for sure, with the desire to do and to act, and she is alone, without a large team. We could imagine a rotating team, whether it’s a paid job, etc. But no, not at all. And that, I find really commendable!

Florence: She also expressed the need to be surrounded and to build, to structure a team that can help and support her in this work, and to amplify it.

Clio: Exactly, and even technologically. Today, for information search, there are tools, codes, applications that can facilitate the work she does. It would just take one or two people who know how to code to create this tool, to make her job easier. And obviously, to expand her team, to receive financial support, or support in general. Actually, it’s a need, we feel that it’s a need, but it doesn’t stop her from continuing. But, as she said, there is an expansion of this tool, and if she remains alone, she will quickly be overwhelmed by all the information she will receive daily, or that she has to go and find. Anyway, it was really super interesting as an interview. We hope you enjoyed it too, that you learned a lot, that it gives you the desire, maybe on your scale, to help Christine, if you have the time, the ambition, and/or the know-how. We hope to see you again for the next episode, even though it’s been a while since we heard each other in French, for the Sargassum Podcast.

Florence: Thank you very much, thank you all.