A giant seaweed bloom – so large it can be seen from outer space – may be headed towards Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The sargassum bloom, at around 5,000 miles wide, is twice the width of the United States and is believed to be the largest in history.
Drifting between the Atlantic coast of Africa and the Gulf of Mexico, the thick mat of algae can provide a habitat for marine life and absorb carbon dioxide.
However, the giant bloom can have disastrous consequences as it gets closer to the shore. Coral, for instance, can be deprived of sunlight. As the seaweed decomposes it can release hydrogen sulfide, negatively impact the air and water and causing respiratory problems for people in the surrounding area.
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"What we’re seeing in the satellite imagery does not bode well for a clean beach year," Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute told NBC News.
Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, told the outlet that the sargassum can still threaten critical infrastructure if it remains in coast waters.
"[I]t can block intake valves for things like power plants or desalination plants. Marinas can get completely inundated and boats can’t navigate through," Barnes said.
The impending seaweed comes as Floridians along the state's southwest coast have complained about burning eyes and breathing problems. Dead fish have washed up on beaches. A beachside festival has been canceled, even though it wasn't scheduled for another month.
Florida's southwest coast experienced a flare-up of the toxic red tide algae this week, setting off concerns that it could continue to stick around for a while. The current bloom started in October.
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Red tide, a toxic algae bloom that occurs naturally in the Gulf of Mexico, is worsened by the presence of nutrients such as nitrogen in the water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warns people to not swim in or around red tide waters over the possibility of skin irritation, rashes and burning and sore eyes. People with asthma or lung disease should avoid beaches affected by the toxic algae.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
bloodguard on March 13rd, 2023 at 16:01 UTC »
There's a business opportunity here. Grab it and grind it up into nitrogen rich organic fertilizer.
ItWasIndigoVelvet on March 13rd, 2023 at 15:46 UTC »
This better not be another story I never hear more about. I want some fucking follow up this time
DeftNerd on March 13rd, 2023 at 15:45 UTC »
I wonder if anyone has modeled how a giant mat of seaweed affects weather. I imagine that it would absorb some of the kinetic energy of the waves, reducing wave heights. And maybe the color would affect the water temperature? Just wondering if a mat that massive will impact this years hurricane season somehow.
I just hope that we find a way to dispose of the Sargassum in a way that it won't rot.
It's such a great consumer of CO2 and if we can figure out how to bury it deep enough that it won't release the CO2 when it rots, it would really help. Or find a way to have it die and sink in the middle of the ocean, where it would drop down deep enough where the carbon will be locked up.
Apparently 50% of oxygen generation comes from Sea Weed... Neat! It's a great carbon sink.