A giant swarm of seaweed, twice the width of the continental United States, is making its way towards the coast of Florida and other shorelines along the Gulf of Mexico. as he wrote CNNthreatens to bring tons of stinky algae to these white beaches.
The mass is created by a special type of seaweed, sargassum. They have long formed large clumps in the Atlantic Ocean during flowering, with scientists tracking the large clumps from the African coast to the Gulf of Mexico since 2011.
A researcher at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Institution of Oceanography, Dr. Brian Lapointe says sargassum blooms began earlier this year and doubled between December and January. This year has been bigger than ever since tracking began in 2011.
Algae are expected to appear on Florida beaches around July, Lapointe said. The expert noted that this is a completely new oceanographic phenomenon, which is posing a problem for tourism in the Caribbean region and is accumulating on the beaches.
Algae can drift into the sea, benefiting ocean life. This floating habitat provides food and protection for fish, mammals, seabirds, crabs and more. It serves as an important habitat for endangered sea turtles.
Problems with sargassum arise when it accumulates in shallow water and hits beaches. As the algae decomposes, it releases a gas that can smell like rotten eggs.
Sargassum can also quickly transition from an entity to a life-threatening state in the ocean.
If there’s too much, it actually absorbs oxygen from the water and creates what we call dead zones, Lapointe said.
Lapointe added that Sargassum can also be dangerous to humans. The gas released by rotting algae, hydrogen sulfide, is toxic and can cause respiratory problems. Seaweed also contains arsenic, which makes it dangerous if ingested or used as a fertilizer.