Beach enthusiasts planning vacations to Florida have reason to rejoice as the state witnesses a noticeable reduction of bad-smelling seaweed. There's a 75% shrinkage of the massive Great Atlantic Sargassum Seaweed Belt, which had previously plagued Florida's illustrious beaches during Spring. This dramatic decline, confirmed by the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab, comes as a boon for the Sunshine State's tourist season.
The malodorous Sargassum seaweed, giving off a stench resembling rotten eggs and wafting out toxic gases on reaching the beaches, was an unwelcome visitor during the tourist-starting month, April. It deposited an unprecedented three million tons into the Caribbean Sea. However, the seaweed mass's receding in June was a 'beyond expectation' curveball, stated the Optical Oceanography Lab.
Remarkably, by the advent of June, Florida's east coast and the Straits bore minimal traces of sargassum, as outlined in the lab's bulletin. Chuanmin Hu, a faculty of optical oceanography at the University, noted that such dramatic decline at this stage of the year was historically unheard of.
Sargassum seaweed generally begins diminishing in July, disappearing mostly by September. Prof. Hu anticipates this trend indicates 'the end of sargassum season this year for Florida.' Reassuringly, reports cite 'clean beaches' across the state. Sargassum, primarily arriving from the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean, is currently scant in these source regions – a positive sign.
Despite the dramatic reduction, Hu warns sporadic seaweed may wash ashore Florida's coastline. However, the quantity should not pose a threat or nuisance. The causes behind this shrinkage remain 'complex' and elusive. However, potentials like nutrient variations, wind conditions, and rainfall patterns are being considered. Prevailing theories suggest that stronger-than-usual Caribbean and Gulf winds might have either fragmented the large seaweed mass or sunk it to the seabed.
While the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean Sea experienced sharp sargassum depletion, the Central West Atlantic registered an uptick. By June-end, the collective seaweed mass, stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, dwindled to approximately 9 million metric tons.
Despite Florida basking in clean beaches, the eastern Caribbean continues to grapple with a sargassum siege. In June, the largest accumulations were reported around Lesser Antilles and on the southern coasts of Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Sargassum is a brown algae genus consisting of over 300 species. Tracked since 2011, it has regularly bloomed in the Atlantic. While sargassum serves as oceanic nutrients and habitats for various marine organisms, it becomes problematic when washed ashore, emitting putrid smell and harmful gases.
Seaweed removal presents a daunting task with potential costs running into millions. Moreover, the use of heavy-duty equipment for removal might inadvertently crush sea turtle eggs.
