What to know about a 5,000-mile-long blob of seaweed heading towards Florida's shores (2024)
Sargassum seaweed makes its way onto the beaches of Central Florida every year. But something is feeding the annual bloom, and scientists using satellite images say there's more out in the Atlantic Ocean than ever before.This thick layer of sargassum stretches for approximately 5,000 miles, equivalent to twice the width of the United States, and it floats between the Gulf of Mexico and the shores of West Africa. While these giant mats of algae can serve as a home for some marine animals and can absorb carbon dioxide, they are being carried westward by ocean currents, leading to hundreds of tons of seaweed washing up on beaches across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico."What's amazing is this is usually the downtime," said Brian Barnes at the University of South Florida’s optical oceanography department. "The quantity we saw (this time last year) is larger than what we saw during the peak times of July and August."The amount of sargassum is growing each month, as it usually does. But what's different now is that the starting point is so much larger this year. January's amount was 20% bigger than the previous record."All indications are that we will continue to see an increase and see another record bloom," Barnes said.Last July, along Central Florida's beaches, tons and tons of sargassum washed ashore. The annual event is critical to the shoreline ecosystem, but excessive amounts can have a negative impact. It can smother and block out sunlight for shoreline animals and plants but also impact beach tourism during the summer."What we need to do is step back and say, 'What's different this year? What causes sargassum to bloom?'" said Kevin Johnson, of Florida Tech's ocean engineering and marine sciences department.So now there's a focus on the increase of nutrients. Some studies say more are flowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Amazon River and from fires in Africa. But there’s also a natural source of upwelling from the depths of the Atlantic.No matter the cause or source, the more nutrients that enter the ocean, the more sargassum will bloom.Will we see more on our coasts, then?"So if it's a large enough bloom and it persists long enough, there's a better chance that availability of more floating seaweed is going to intersect with the right kinds of winds," Johnson said. "So it certainly increases the chances, but it’s not a guarantee."
COCOA BEACH, Fla. —
Sargassum seaweed makes its way onto the beaches of Central Florida every year. But something is feeding the annual bloom, and scientists using satellite images say there's more out in the Atlantic Ocean than ever before.
This thick layer of sargassum stretches for approximately 5,000 miles, equivalent to twice the width of the United States, and it floats between the Gulf of Mexico and the shores of West Africa.
While these giant mats of algae can serve as a home for some marine animals and can absorb carbon dioxide, they are being carried westward by ocean currents, leading to hundreds of tons of seaweed washing up on beaches across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
"What's amazing is this is usually the downtime," said Brian Barnes at the University of South Florida’s optical oceanography department. "The quantity we saw (this time last year) is larger than what we saw during the peak times of July and August."
The amount of sargassum is growing each month, as it usually does. But what's different now is that the starting point is so much larger this year. January's amount was 20% bigger than the previous record.
"All indications are that we will continue to see an increase and see another record bloom," Barnes said.
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Last July, along Central Florida's beaches, tons and tons of sargassum washed ashore. The annual event is critical to the shoreline ecosystem, but excessive amounts can have a negative impact. It can smother and block out sunlight for shoreline animals and plants but also impact beach tourism during the summer.
"What we need to do is step back and say, 'What's different this year? What causes sargassum to bloom?'" said Kevin Johnson, of Florida Tech's ocean engineering and marine sciences department.
So now there's a focus on the increase of nutrients. Some studies say more are flowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Amazon River and from fires in Africa. But there’s also a natural source of upwelling from the depths of the Atlantic.
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No matter the cause or source, the more nutrients that enter the ocean, the more sargassum will bloom.
Will we see more on our coasts, then?
"So if it's a large enough bloom and it persists long enough, there's a better chance that availability of more floating seaweed is going to intersect with the right kinds of winds," Johnson said. "So it certainly increases the chances, but it’s not a guarantee."
In March, CNN published a story headlined “A 5,000-mile-wide blob of seaweed is headed for Florida,” but scientists using satellite data have since observed a decrease in the total abundance of sargassum
sargassum
The Sargasso Sea (/sɑːrˈɡæsoʊ/) is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it has no land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum seaweed and often calm blue water.
The record-breaking mass of stinky seaweed that began appearing on Florida's iconic beaches this spring, known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Seaweed Belt, shrunk in the Gulf of Mexico by 75% last month, according to scientists from the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab.
The seaweed mass that is often referred to as a “blob” is known as the great Atlantic Sargassum belt. Collectively weighing 13 million tons and stretching over 5,000 miles – the belt is large enough to be seen from space.
One possible contributor is nutrient pollution from land that washes into the ocean from cities, farms, roadways and other human sources. This effectively floods the ocean with a food source that leads to rapid growth in Sargassum. Another possible source is one we know all too well, climate change.
Pollution: nutrient-rich waters act as fertilizer for the seaweed (it was thought that they were reproducing locally as a result of more nutrients). Disturbance in liquid boundaries: winds, storms, and spiraling currents help disperse Sargassum throughout the world's oceans.
Exclusion booming. Elastec has taken this approach due to the minimal impact. Exclusion booms or barriers are moored in selected locations to keep the Sargassum seaweed off the beach where it will move with the wind and current either back to sea or down the coast.
Historically, the sargassum belt has occurred naturally in a remote section of the North Atlantic referred to as the Sargasso Sea, though scientists say it drastically expanded its geographic range around 2010, with strands being found as far east as Gibraltar, Morocco and Liberia, and as far west as the Gulf of Mexico ...
While the 2023 sargassum bloom isn't as large as originally expected, it will still be a major year for the algae and the lab expected it to continue increasing in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in March. It is expected to travel west from the Caribbean Sea and become a hazard on some beaches in Florida.
Florida's southeast coast gets the brunt of summer's sargassum blobs, whereas beaches on Florida's west coast only get a little bit of seaweed, if any.
The Turks & Caicos Are Known For Their Pristine Sargassum-Free Beaches. Voted the world's best beach by Tripadvisor, Grace Bay Beach boasts crystal-clear waters, calm waves, and soft sands that leave many in awe.
History. This Sargassum was first reported by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century but recently appeared in 2011 in the Atlantic. As of 2023, the belt is estimated to weigh about 5.5 million metric tonnes and extends 5,000 miles (8,000 km), stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.
Avoid recreating in waters that contain excessive Sargassum. Some of the organisms it harbors may irritate your skin. Stay away from areas where Sargassum is decomposing.
As sargassum washes ashore every year in Key West, locals and visitors alike are primarily annoyed by the smell of the sargassum quantity on the beach.
A giant blob of seaweed called the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is floating toward the West Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The mass, pictured in the map below, could be an estimated 13.5 million metric tons in 2023 and is known as sargassum.
Sargassum is brown algae which originate in the Sargasso Sea of the Western Atlantic Ocean. It grows up to several meters and can float in the open ocean.
The clumps are breaking off an enormous raft of free-floating seaweed known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, which stretches 5,000 miles (8,047km) between the Gulf of Mexico and the west coast of Africa and can be seen from space.
Several Sargassum species are edible and at least six are cultured in Korea, Japan, and China, with a few others under development. Farmed sargassum seaweeds are sold dried, salted, or fresh, and consumed in soups, vegetable dishes, salads, or used in various seasonings.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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