The trial, running from 28 September to 2 October, uses suction to remove the invasive seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae directly from the water. It is being tested as an alternative to using machinery to collect the algae once it has washed ashore, a process that can also remove sand and disrupt use of the beach.

The problem is familiar in Carvoeiro. Lagoa Council says the beach received 440 cubic metres of washed-up algae during the extratropical cyclone Danielle in September 2022, Barlavento reported.

The trial follows the approval of a national programme to control the invasive species between 2026 and 2030. For now, the work in Carvoeiro is a test: the council hopes it will show whether collecting the algae in the sea is a practical way to reduce the amount that ends up on the beach.

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