Thu 16 Mar 2023 12.37 EDT Last modified on Thu 16 Mar 2023 12.38 EDT It's brown, it weighs millions of tons, it stretches over 5,000 miles and it is headed for Florida's beaches. When beachgoers say there's a brown blob of seaweed floating in the ocean, they really mean it. This impacted the Florida Keys and Floridas marine coasts. Hu said 2023 will be another major sargassum year, possibly surpassing 2022. . Here's how to protect turtles and hatchlings. Large mats of sargassum have the potential to smother shallow coral reefs and seagrass beds by blocking needed sunlight. Since sargassum season coincides with sea turtle nesting season, all beach cleaning operations must perform their work in accordance with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection & the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as coordinate with local sea turtle monitoring programs. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. It was originally published on March 15, 2023. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper. We may have another pulse of it. The belt is already beginning to wash upin the Florida Keys and Barbados and elsewhere in the region, but researchers don't know where the bulk of it could wind up. He has linked the surge in sargassum to flow from the Mississippi River, extreme flooding in the Amazon basin, and themouth of the Congo, where upwelling and vertical mixing of the ocean can bring up nutrients that feed the blooms. Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. An 8.7 million ton seaweed blob is expected to arrive on Florida beaches ahead of the summer tourist season. Along with its devastating effects on recreational beaches in the Caribbean and South Florida, sargassum has important but less visible ecological impacts near the coast. A harmful algal bloom or HABs are blooms that result in negative impacts to wildlife, people, and economics (Smyth et al. Some of those that populate the Atlantic Ocean grow on the surface of the water, since they don't form roots to attach themselves to rocks like other algae. Mary Helen Moore, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Large crowds lead to over 30 water rescues, drowning at Crab Island over Memorial Day weekend. Orange indicates a significant portion of the shoreline is affected. "Sargassum does not fully cover any part of the ocean, and sargassum is not toxic. Chuanmin Hu, University of South Florida College of Marine Science, The "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt" is a massive bloom, have concerned scientists for the past decade, Stinky seaweed in the "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt", The smell of rotting beached sargassum causes problems for tourism industries in Mexico and. The University of South Florida (USF) says the 13-million-ton blob of sargassum seaweed floating across the Atlantic Ocean set a record for March, and the numbers experts are currently seeing indicate it could be a record-high sargassum seaweed this year. Along with other researchers, I'm trying to understand why sargassum has proliferated into this new sprawling bloom, how to deal with such massive amounts of it and how affected countries can predict the severity of the next influx. Sargassum usually appears in Florida beaches in the spring, with a peak in June, The seaweed contains tiny sea creatures, such as jellyfish larvae, that can irritate your skin on contact. Wang, M., Hu, C. Barnes, B., Mitchum, G., Lapointe, B., Montoya, J. afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. Tony Judnich Northwest Florida Daily News 0:00 0:31 While its brown color makes it stand out more on sugar-white sand and it stinks while it's decomposing under the baking sun, sargassum. Fogg told the council that He and the Coastal Resource team have been collecting weekly water samples in coordination with Florida Fish and Wildlife, and says theyve yet to detect any red tide. Featured image from iNaturalist user kruskaya_024 (CC-BY-NC 4.0). Barnes and his University of South Florida colleagues use NASA satellite data to map the Great . "What we're seeing in the satellite imagery does not bode well for a clean beach year.". Just a different species. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. Locally, this is a very low amount and it doesnt require removal.. When Sargassum decays, it stinks to put it mildly. "This year could be the biggest year yet," even bigger than previous growths, said Brian Lapointe,an algae specialist and research professor at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Right: the Great Atlantic Sargassum belt in March of 2023. FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Saving endangered right whales pits advocates against lobstermen, GREEN ENERGY: Growing group of mayors at odds with experts over whale deaths and offshore windmills. Sargassum gathers and grows in the borderless Sargassum Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. SUNNY ISLE BEACH, Fla. - A massive blob of seaweed called sargassum is washing up on Florida beaches, and with the peak of the sargassum season still months away, experts believe the Sunshine State could experience the worst season on record. Florida, affected by the red tide in the Gulf of Mexico in 2023. 43 other threatened or endangered species, World's largest seaweed bloom spotted from space, drastic increase in agricultural activity, nutrients carried down the Mississippi River, biomass burning in central and southern Africa. Here's what the seaweed situation looks like in Florida. While the big blob of sargassum may be heading into the Gulf of Mexico, via currents, Fogg says its unlikely to significantly impact the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. According to scientists who monitor the formation of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean, 2023 could produce the largest bloom ever recorded. Seaweed blob floats along Florida coast, washing up on beaches. Chuanmin Hu, University of South Florida College of Marine Science This year's bloom is the. Sign up for notifications from Insider! In 2018 and 2022 having record-breaking increases, Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, told NBC News. In 2018, 20 million tons of sargassum bloomed, nearly spanning from Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt" is a massive bloom of brown algae that stretches from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. In search of Alexis, 7 The Crossword . As beached sargassum dies and rots, it has a distinct rotten-egg smell, which has caused a huge problem for tourism in both Mexico and Florida. This year's bloom is the biggest on record for the month of March, and it's expected to grow from here, peaking in June or July. The blob is not one contiguous mass, but rather multiple clumps and mats of sargassum that make up the GASB (USF Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, March 31, 2023). Why it matters. That nutrient-rich water from the Amazon River flows into the Caribbean Sea. 2023 , Get The Coast LLC. Every morning, Miami-Dade County cuts the sargassum and flips it under the sand, and in some hotspots, its removed before it can start to decompose and smell. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Lapointe, B., Brewton, R., Herren, L., Wang, M. Hu, C., McGillicuddy Jr., D., Lindell, S., Hernandez, F., Morton, P. 2021. There are multiple factors because the Atlantic ocean is huge," Hu said. They found: Blooms have been at least indirectly linked to climate change in several ways, but especially to thewarming temperatures that bring more extreme rainfall that washes silt and pollutants into waterways. It doesnt deter people, as you can see.". Sea turtle nesting season starts in May. "It's incredible," Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, told NBC News. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt extends from west Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and is setting a record 13 million tons for this time of year. What can plausibly explain the sudden increase in this floating seaweed since 2011 -- the first time that large aggregations of sargassum were detected from space? We know that climate change is warming ocean waters, and Sargassum grows faster in warmer water. 2022). This post has been updated. TAMPA, Fla. A massive bloom of brown seaweed, thousands of miles wide and visible from space, is making its way toward the Gulf of Mexico. In some areas, it is mixed with or buried in the sand. Algal-bloom-favorable seasons in temperate seas have increased with warmer temperatures. It might seem like a lot but there are feet and feet of it stacking up in other locations such as South Florida, Fogg said. The reference to the blob is simply describing the appearance of the 5,000-mile sized GASB when viewed via satellite imagery. "So, thats why we say major beaching events are inevitable," Hu added. Nearly every year since 2011, sargassum has inundated Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida coastlines in warm months, peaking in June and July. Here's what to know. Avoid accumulation hot spot areas, particularly if you have any respiratory illnesses. But in recent years, large quantities of sargassum have drifted west, forming what researchers call the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Read the original article. This designation as well as other environmental legislation (the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and others) makes it difficult, if not impossible to collect sargassum from the water. How do we explain the sudden increase in this floating seaweed? A satellite image shows a mileslong raft of sargassum a tangled, buoyant mass of seaweed off the coast of Key Largo, Fla. University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Laboratory . Red indicates full inundation of seaweed on beaches. Status: May 30-Jun 5, 2023 Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. While our area will certainly see sargassum on our beaches, like every year, we do not expect the quantities to be overwhelming, he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or Furthermore, several scientific studies are underway examining the viability of sargassum as a compost additive. According to Fogg, the seaweed provides a habitat for these species and acts as a nursery for them. He explained that the seaweed forms the big blob pretty much every year, and typically impacts the Caribbean Islands and south Florida. These events can cause significant economic, environmental and public health harm. FOX Weather multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell spoke with beach goers on the appearance of the seaweed. 2015. Science, 365 p. 83-87. https://waterlust.com/blogs/the-waterlust-blog/sea-sun-sand-sargassum, University of South Florida, March 31, 2023 Sargassum Outlook Bulletin: https://optics.marine.usf.edu/projects/SaWS/pdf/Sargassum_outlook_2023_bulletin3_USF.pdf, by Ana Zangroniz Now, intensive cattle ranching and soybean farming in the Amazon basin are sending rising levels of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Atlantic Ocean via the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Fogg said county officials have received a number of calls in recent weeks from beachgoers who expressed concern about the accumulated sargassum. But the overall mass this year is overwhelming. It has appeared on many of the Caribbean island beaches and is starting to appear on Florida beaches now. "Were seeing such massive blooms now.". Sargassum grows in the calm, clear waters of the Sargasso Sea -- a 2 million-square-nautical-mile haven of biodiversity that lies east of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean. Sargassum, a smelly seaweed, may be coming soon to a Gulf beach near you. Sea turtle hatchlings swim from Florida beaches to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic, where they spend their early lives floating and foraging in the grass. "Weve seen something pretty similar ina lot of the things we study," Barnes said. Sargassum is a species of large brown seaweed, a type of macroalgae that floats in large masses. During the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Okaloosa Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg provided an update on the state of Red Tide and Sargassum in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. It is the largest seaweed bloom in the world weighing approximately 20 million tons and is visible from outer space. A huge mass of sargassum seaweed formed in the Atlantic Ocean is headed for the. The authors of the coastal phytoplankton study, Lapointe and other researchers have found: "We can't really say which particular beach at which particular time," Barnes said. Australia had the lowest frequency and smallest affected area. Beach and ocean photos: Have a look at Sargassum seaweed. It tends to appear in Florida beaches in the spring. That's what makes the great seaweed belt across the Atlantic each spring and summer. 2021 has been another record year, with the macroalgae blooming in significant amounts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classifies sargassum as essential fish habitat. Images: Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science Sargassum impacts Environmental impacts Large mats of sargassum have the potential to smother shallow coral reefs and seagrass beds by blocking needed sunlight. 2021 has been another record year, with the macroalgae blooming in significant amounts. Sargassum headed for Florida can be dangerous . This year the amount of algae is overwhelming. Sargassum is an amazing brown algae that has fascinated marine scientists for decades. As they blow across the Atlantic, they help fertilize seaweed. Beachgoers in Florida and the Caribbean could be greeted by heavy blankets of smelly seaweed in the weeks ahead as a 5,000-mile swath of sargassum drifts westward and piles onto white . Beaches in Mexico like in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum are also preparing for a large build-up of sargassum this week. A record . It is not harmful or toxic, except it can be sort of uncomfortable if swimming in it. A satellite-based map shows the Sargassum bloom approaching Florida, from March 7-13, 2023. Thick masses of sargassum on beaches can make it difficult or impossible for endangered sea turtles to dig nests and lay eggs on beaches. However, there exists a second area of prolific sargassum formed in 2019 further south off the coast of South America (LaPointe et al. More on local beaches: Sea turtle nesting season starts in May. However, the good news is that the area is currently in the clear. You may find juvenile fish or other invertebrates hiding in the mats. Who are the people painted in the mural on the towers on the St. Johns River that you see from the Hart Bridge? That is the Unity mural that was painted by Australian artist Guido van Helten over four and a half days in 2016. This means that while the big blob may be heading towards Florida, it is unlikely to significantly impact the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.. These US beaches will be dangerous or gross this holiday weekend. That's all we can say now, and we're still doing research to understand why.". Sargassum seaweed tends to appear in Florida beaches in the spring. SUNNY ISLE BEACH, Fla. Definitions explained. Dierssen, H.M., Chlus, A., Russell, B. Sargassum is a type of rootless and leafy algae that floats around the ocean. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SG153. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Coral reefs also require sunlight and clean water to survive. The trend was first documented on satellite in 2011. 2015, Doyle & Franks 2015). Others are almost totally covered with an enormous blanket of algae. "Because this is a major year at a minimum, and its likely to be a record year. For more on the MSRI, visit ju.edu/msri. Waves filled with sargassum continue washing up on beaches in the Caribbean Sea and southern Florida and the stacks of seaweed are expected to get worse in the weeks ahead. These US beaches will be dangerous or gross this holiday weekend. 1:21. They should deposit the seaweed at the front of the sand fencing next to the sand dunes, where it can act as a sand trap and provide nutrients for dune grass to help stabilize the dunes, he said. People with asthma or other breathing illnesses may have trouble breathing if they inhale too much of it. When it dies, it sinks to the sea floor, providing nutrients to deep-sea ecosystems. The weekly risk assessment was published by NOAA and the University of South Florida on June 20, 2023, and is the latest available. Owners and/or managers of condominiums, hotels and other beachfront properties who want to remove sargassum from the beach next to their buildings are free to do so by hand, which doesnt require a permit, he said. It is difficult to predict when and where it will wash ashore. As of late March, the sargassum belt was about 5,000 miles long and 300 miles wide. This is an update of an article published Aug. 2, 2021. And clearing the beaches can be expensive. Large floating mats of sargassum block sunlight, which is essential for the survival of underwater grasses. The algae can also destroy coastal ecosystems, suffocate coral, harm wildlife, threaten infrastructure, and decrease air quality. redistributed. It will come across the Central Atlantic and into the Caribbean, and into the Gulf of Mexico through the straits of Florida.". Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could get hit hard, Barnes said. Thats because strong south winds have pushed the Gulf Loop Current, which originates in the Caribbean, farther north than normal, he said. In fact, in 2003,Sargassumwas designated as Essential Fish Habitat within the U.S. Nutrient content and stoichiometry of pelagic Sargassum reflects increasing nitrogen availability in the Atlantic Basin. A 5,000-mile-wide blob of floating sargassum seaweed has reached the Florida Keys, and video from Cocoplum Beach on Easter Sunday in Marathon, Florida, shows it washing on shore and piled up along the beach. Although the seaweed itself cannot harm your health, tiny sea creatures that live in Sargassum can cause In addition to smelling unpleasant, this gas can irritate individuals who have respiratory illnesses. Sargassum, a naturally occurring type of macroalgae, has grown at an alarming rate this winter. 2023, 12:00 PM UTC . So, thats just a forecast. It does not uniformly cover beaches when it washes up. Cheryl McCloud Florida Today 0:00 0:33 Substantial s argassum is expected in June in both the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, according to the May report from the University of South Florida.. On the beach, shorebirds like to pick bugs and other creatures from the seaweed, he said. Ana Zangroniz serves as the Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent in Miami-Dade County, FL. Mats of it form the sole spawning grounds for European and American eels and habitat for some 43 other threatened or endangered species. Winds, currents and even small storms can influence where the sargassum moves. These nutrients are key ingredients in fertilizer, and also are present in animal manure. 2019. We might see a lot this summer, or we may not see much at all. In addition to the unsightly piles of sargassum along the coast, some species produce toxins that affect the food chain or deplete the oxygen in the water when they start to decay, causing fish kills and the die-off of other marine species. Sargassum is at the mercy of the tides, waves, wind and currents. Fogg said that the team will continue to monitor for any potential fish kills and other issues that may arise. In the Gulf, sargassum serves as essential habitat for young sea turtles while crabs, bait fish and other critters that hang around it are munched on by game fish such as mahi mahi and wahoo, he said. Sargassum, like the bloom spanning about twice the width of the US right now, could wreak havoc on beaches as ocean currents push the brown algae towards land. A correlation in some regions between changes in sea surface temperatures and ocean circulation. Exclusive Economic Zone off the southern Atlantic states, which gives these habitats special protection. Havens, K. 2018. The Sargassum amount will likely continue to increase in the following months, more Sargassum will be found in the GoM, and more beaching events will occur in the Florida Keys and along the east coast of Florida. 2015. 2019). Like sargassum, June grass doesnt look great onshore but its not harmful to humans and provides habitat for various creatures, he said. All Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. It offers food, hiding spots and breeding grounds for a vast array of crabs, shrimp and other invertebrates and over a hundred species of fish. Climate change can affect ocean circulation and the movement of nutrients that feed phytoplankton blooms. University of Florida Electronic Information Data Source. 2023 www.palmbeachpost.com. During the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council meetingon Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Okaloosa Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg provided an update on the state of Red Tide and Sargassum in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. This year, sargassum has washed ashore along Okaloosa County and other parts of the Panhandle in greater amounts than in recent years, Fogg said. The fishermen are loving it, says Fogg, referring to the small amount of sargassum thats currently in the area. All Rights Reserved, Okaloosa County Public Information Office, Okaloosa County to remove 3 derelict vessels from Boggy Bayou, Choctawhatchee Bay, and Cinco Bayou, Okaloosa deploys 46 new Prefabricated Artificial Reef modules off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, New Red Snapper Fishing Tournament to benefit Okaloosa Countys Artificial Reef Program, Record-breaking 24,699 lionfish removed during 2023 Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament, UPDATE: Former NFL and Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett identified as drowning victim in Destin, Phil Dorn bids farewell as Athletic Director at Destin High School, Fortunately, Red Tide and Sargassum are not something that significantly impacts our area compared to other parts of Florida, says Fogg. Rather than beaches, it's bounded by rotating ocean currents that form the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Researchers across the Caribbean are working to find productive uses for these enormous quantities of organic material that float ashore. Another major source of nutrients is dust clouds from the Sahara, which can stretch for thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, carried by trade winds. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Whether you are a resident or visitor, if you enjoy going to the beach, you are likely to experience sargassum landings the summer. One study in 2019 suggested that deforestation and fertilizer use may be responsible for the alarming rate at which the mass is growing the effects of which are all exacerbated by climate change. Contributing: George Petras and Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY. Outlook of 2023 Sargassumblooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico* March 1, 2023, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab (bbarnes4@usf.edu, yuyuan@usf.edu, huc@usf.edu) The maps below show Sargassumabundance, with warm colors representing higher values. The coastal phytoplankton study, by researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Chinaand elsewhere, used images from NASAs Aqua satellite. Five thousand miles long, 400 miles wide, and over six million tons, a massive bloom of sargassum seaweed is drifting toward . The City of Fort Lauderdale has been composting their sargassum for 15 years, and uses it as fill for landscaping projects. Sargassum can deprive coastal waters from oxygen, limiting animal movement. Published 12:27 PM EDT, Fri June 9, 2023 Link Copied . 5pp. Will it impact Florida? This species is also a, Find out where the biggest impacts are and, Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion, TESI Environmental Communicators Internship, Science Communication Professional Development, AI in the Classroom: Scientist in Every Florida School Program Helps Middle School Teachers Use Fossil Sharks to Teach Machine Learning, Tell Me About: Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination, Internships with Gulf of Mexico Alliance and Mississippi State University Coastal and Marine Extension Program. 2021, Wang et al. He featured local human rights activists Connell Crooms and Sara Mahmoud. Seaweed in seen in the beaches of Miami Beach, Miami, March 10, 2023. The towers are 150 feet high and are cement silos. University of Florida Electronic Information Data Source. But not everywhere. Signs warning beachgoers about the sargassum are posted along beaches. Warmer temperatures coincided with blooms in high latitude regions such as Alaska and the Baltic Sea. But eventually, more of it washes ashore. 4 pp. Its an important ecosystem for marine life like sea turtles and small fish. At this point, the USF Sargassum Outlook Bulletin tentatively predicts the month of June for the peak of the Sargassum abundance in our area. Well continue to monitor for any potential issues, but right now, neither are a major concern., Fortunately, the loop current that comes up into the Gulf of Mexico takes a hard right turn right in the middle and heads to the west coast of Florida, and then down around the Florida Keys and up the east coast, he said. . Here's what you should know By Jackie Wattles and Kristen. This can hinder beach access. It's important to note that seaweed is usually fairly innocuous and actually has benefits like providing habitats for fish and absorbing carbon dioxide.
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