They are scientists warning the public of a record accumulation of sargassum in the remote central Atlantic Ocean, close to the ocean boundary of the Caribbean Seadriven by unpredictable winds, currents and storms.
This week, researchers from the University of South Florida reported that the amount of spiny pelagic fauna measured in December – about 5 million tons –was significantly more than the amount recorded at the same time last year, that was about 1 million tons.
“While we forecast an increase in the November bulletin, the magnitude of this growth is remarkable, with the December 2023 abundance representing an all-time high,” USF researchers said.
This year’s announcement is similar to the year before, when the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt reached unprecedented heights in the first few months of 2023 and there was widespread media coverage of a possible coastal attack in Florida during the busiest travel months of the summer.
Macroalgae ultimately failed to reach a record high of 22 million tonnes in 2022 and suddenly fell by 15% in May – a decline unprecedented since tracking began in 2011 and a sign of the unpredictable nature and ignorance of the functioning of seafaring biomass. .
However, Chuanmin Hu, a professor of oceanography at USF, said December’s tonnage “indicates that 2024 will be another major sargassum year.”
Currently, most of the sargassum is still located 500 miles east of the Caribbean Sea. However, in mid-December, a significant bloom appeared near the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. According to USF, the bloom then moved northeast to Trinidad and Tobago.
Photo reports of the 2023 seaweed season
Photos from Florida seaweed season (Source: FB Group Sargassum Seaweed Florida: daily updates and photo reports)
What is sargassum seaweed and what causes it?
Sargassum is a type of seaweed that floats on the ocean surface and is characterized by its brown color and air-filled sacs. This seaweed is vital to marine ecosystems, but can impact tourism and the coastal environment when it accumulates on beaches.
Sargassum’s recent, unusually large bloom may be influenced by factors such as human waste, climate change and agricultural runoff. Elevated nitrogen levels from these sources and varying ocean temperatures likely contribute to its rapid growth. Changes in weather patterns, ocean currents and the supply of nutrients from sources such as the dust of the Sahara Desert are also considered influential.
