Karan Khalsa

Living on the edge of the Caribbean Sea is a gift that brings beauty every single day. But it also brings a constant reminder that the ocean is changing. Over the past few years, enormous blooms of sargassum seaweed  have begun arriving along the coast. Some days the sea looks almost normal. Other days, massive waves of seaweed cover the shoreline and stretch far out into the water. The smell can be overwhelming as the seaweed decomposes. The water becomes harder for marine life to navigate....

For four years now, I’ve been enamored with the reef in front of Mahai. At first, I simply floated above it, admiring its beauty. I would paddle out from our beach, tie my paddleboard to a buoy, and snorkel along the paths with the brightly colored fish as they nibbled on the coral's nutrients. Every time I see a turtle, I am awestruck. But over time, I began to notice changes. Some coral formations seemed less vibrant. Flecks of sargassum would drift across the reef and settle there,...

When we began construction at Mahai Retreat, I expected to learn a lot about building, solar power, and coastal ecosystems. What I did not expect was that one of the most fascinating lessons would come from something much less glamorous: what happens after we flush the toilet.