Noah's Ark for coral:'Daring' coral rescue as officials attempt to safeguard genetics of Florida reef tract. The 2022 sargassum season began at the beginning of spring due to a rise in sea temperature, which accelerates the reproduction of the seaweed. This is merely a collection of these cameras to help people see the local conditions of the beaches. Shark bait:Jupiter is hot spot for sharks munching on line-caught fish; now what can be done about it? 33756 MARTINIQUE : Les poissons dlevage sont bien morts cause des sargasses, BONAIRE: Sargassum Fertilizer Transfers Heavy Metals to Vegetables, MEXICO: Mexican Navy Admit Failure In Stopping Sargassum Deposits In Cancun, Mexico News : Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum Being Overrun By Seaweed, Mexico : Cancun Braces For Worst Sargassum Seaweed Season In Five Years, Guadeloupe : Guadeloupe : Les sargasses saccumulent, les nuisances olfactives et visuelles reviennent, Mexico Riviera Maya : ADVIERTEN OPACIDAD EN EL TEMA DE DISPOSICIN Y MANEJO DEL SARGAZO, Mexico Riviera Maya : El sargazo se adelanta y pega con ms intensidad, Mexico : Sin recursos ni personal suficiente para contener el sargazo; an desatendidas, enormes extensiones en las costas del Caribe mexicano. Researchers: April sargassum bloom largest ever recorded. Robert Webster ingeniously navigated the development of the SEAS Program. The bad news, scientists say, is that much more is headed our waythan has ever been documented before. According to Reportur, the amount of sargassum floating in the Central Atlantic Ocean in November 2022 increased to an astounding 6 million tons by December 2022. Since 2011, large amounts of Sargassum seaweed appeared in the Caribbean Sea every summer except 2013, creating many environmental, ecological and economic problems in many regions. Washed-up Sargassum:Washed-up Sargassum seaweed sometimes wreaks havoc and reeks; expect it for next several weeks, Pulled from waves:Several pulled from waves after boat capsizes near Melbourne Beach. Find the most up-to-date forecast, map, and images of Cancun's seaweed . Sargassum has impacted the Caribbean in so many ways. How bad is Sargassum Problem in Punta Cana? Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. "Nitrogen appears to be increasing in the Atlantic basin, driving these blooms,"Brian Lapointe, a research professor at FAU-Harbor Branch in Fort Pierce. Two examples are given below. Sargassum is a lifeline for fish nurseries, hungry migratory birds and sea turtle hatchlings seeking shelter in its buoyant saltwater blooms. 4, 764773. Joaquin Trinanes
In the ocean it serves as an important habitat for many marine animals as it provides food, shade, and shelter (from predators) to fish, shrimp, crabs, and turtles. (Mark Collins, WJXT) This summer is seeing the most seaweed ever on record in the. Lapointe, B. E., L. E. West, T. T. Sutton, and C. Hu (2014), Ryther revisited: nutrient excretions by fishes enhance productivity of pelagic Sargassum in the western North Atlantic Ocean, J. Exp. You wont have to worry about sargassum if you visit these places at any time of year. Small amounts of Sargassum coverage lingered in the central Caribbean Sea (CS), while essentially none was observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Which is BETTER for Vacation? However, it is important to note that in 2022, small waves of sargassum continued to wash up on Punta Canas beaches until the beginning of December 2022, well after the end of the sargassum season. To help accomdate for Quintana Roo South and Tulum forecasts. It seems now that extreme blooms appear on an almost yearlybasis, and with increasingly more toxic potential. TheCaribbean Sea keepsgifting Central Florida's beaches with moundsof mushy, stinkybrown seaweed. What is certain is 2023 will be a major sargassum year, Hu said. Hotels in Bayahibe are usually 6 to 12 % cheaper than hotels in Punta Cana. For instance, almost all hotels in Punta Cana employ dedicated staff that works hard to keep beaches sargassum-free on a daily basis. Sargassum contains arsenic, which it uptakes from what's naturally in ocean water. Florida Atlantic University research professor and algae expert Brian LaPointe said years with large amounts of sargassum build on each other because there is so much seed material to start the next crop. The vectors in the images represent the geostrophic currents. Sargassum decomposes into stinging thick layers on the surface of the water, depleting the oxygen in the water and destroying the marine life in the area. A sargassum forecast released this week by the University of South Florida said the amount of sargassum in the Central West Atlantic and Caribbean Sea is higher than previous years, which means . December 31, 2022, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab For more information about current sargassum conditions in Mexico, read the following posts: Cancun SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know! Punta Cana SEAWEED Problem (2022): Everything You Need To Know!! However, the important point to understand is that this problem is not limited only to Punta Cana. Remote Sens. A seething tangle of floating trouble is massing for a potential summer assault on Florida beaches as a vast forest of sargassum grows in record amounts in the Atlantic Ocean. Feb 22, 2023 5 min. But, the important point to note is that Punta Cana is much better prepared to tackle this problem in 2023 than it was in 2022. If you are looking for a sargassum-free beach vacation or to enjoy your vacation with complete peace of mind, Bayahibe town is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit near Punta Cana. Isla Mujeres SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! The forecast indicates the possibility of a medium to high chance of more Sargassum polluting the beaches. Aruba SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! - 6p.m. Sargassum is definitely a big concern for tourists planning a vacation to Punta Cana. Thats why the seaweed problem is most prevalent in Punta Cana during the warm summer months of March to September, while it is almost non-existent during the cold winter months of November to February. Drone footage captured in Delray Beach by Larry Richardson today (April 21) showed the scale of the problem. The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing higher values. Sargassum is a brown marine algae, commonly known as seaweed. But experts at the . According to the Oceanographic Institute, which works in conjunction with the . Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, up from 18.8 million tons in May, according to a monthly report published by the University of South Florida's Optical . Scientists at the USF College of Marine Science who have used NASA . Robert Webster, lead developer of the original team, passed away in 2015 due to cancer. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Sargassum Monitoring 2022 - Google My Maps Official map of sargassum invasion 2022 Property of https://sargassummonitoring.com/ Official map of sargassum invasion 2022 Property of. The Sargassum a seaweed that grows in the Atlantic will be arriving and flowing onshore, and it could be extra abundant this year. Sargassum: Erosion and Biodiversity on the Beach, Spatial Sciences Laboratory, Dept. Sargassummonitering.com is a website that keeps an eye on the current sargassum level on the beaches. Punta can is located on the Atlantic ocean so the water is cooler and rougher. Bingham Oceanog. LaPointe suggested using floating barriers to keep the seaweed from coming ashore. An airline also asked for his advice when it was deciding its schedule so as not to load up on flights to sargassum-rich areas during tourist season. This is a record-breaking number, and it indicates that massive waves of sargassum will land on Mexico's Caribbean coastline and other Caribbean countries in 2023. However, looking at the recent history, it is possible that small waves of sargassum may arrive in Punta Cana much earlier than March 2023. Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort. Mar. Also, the majority of Punta Cana is protected by seaweed barriers designed to prevent sargassum from reaching the beaches. The beach was unusable for much of the summer, it was scratching your thighs, it was just disgusting.. Seasonal seaweed strikes back: Tons of seaweed washes up on the Space Coast. In Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic, as it does every year, major sargassum waves are expected to arrive at the beginning of March 2023. Is there still a seaweed problem in Punta Cana in 2023? All rights reserved. Sept. 3, 2022, at 3:10 a.m. South Florida's Beaches See Record Seaweed This Summer More By NATALIA GALICZA, Miami Herald MIAMI (AP) Every morning, before a storm of visitors rains down on. Puerto Rico Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! The eyesore can also threaten tourism. Gower, J., C. Hu, G, Borstad, and S. King (2006), Ocean color satellites show extensive lines of floating Sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico, IEEE Trans. 1 0 obj
Bayahibe, on the other hand, is located on the Caribbean side, therefore the water is calmer, turquoise, and clear. Over 46 thousand tonnes of sargassum seaweed are expected to be deposited across Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean in the next week. Many people visiting the Brevard County coastline in recent days may have noticed lots of stinky seaweed that has washed up onshore. But in excess, the stuff annoys tourists and those who's livelihoods depend upon them, by fouling the beaches beauty and air. Tulum SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know! But Lapointe says arsenic levels have been increasing in the seaweed as humans have contributed more nitrogen to the environment. endobj
When this is clicked, a KML file is generated for that image. It grows in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. And researchers warn that this seasonal so-called Sargassum storm is likely to get worsebefore easing up, as all the excess weeds at sea wash in with the winds and currents, often wrapped in a filamentous brown algae that's only making things worse. Last month, strong winds blew a thick layer of dust from the Sahara Desert westward over the Atlantic Ocean. The seaweed's proliferation is "almost like a barometer of our alteration of nitrogen cycles," Lapointe said. Reports Tuesday said sargassum is hitting resorts like Playa del Carmen and Tulum further south on the coast, while Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres have largely been spared.. Yet the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab has said "2022 is likely going to be another moderate or major sargassum year," with observable amounts in all waters lower than in 2018 and 2021. That's one way that they track the sargassum in the ocean and how much can be estimated. It really becomes a problem when it piles up in the mangroves and causes these dead zones, LaPointe said. The SaWS is meant to provide such a function through producing and sharing customized satellite imagery in near real-time in a user-friendly way. An abundance of decaying Sargassum seaweed along a beach in Ft. Lauderdale, FL clumps on the wrack line. Summer 2022 sargassum blew past previous records for June; July dropped a tad and August is pending, but the University of South Florida, which tracks sargassum, says there's so much sargassum floating in the open waters right now that we can expect what they call "beaching" for at least a couple more months. The professor is with the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. It is predicted that the concentration of sargassum would increase continuously from April to October with an increase in the sea temperature, as it does every year. Ive never seen it like this. To anyone who is there have you seen any around the keys? Researchers at NASA and the University of South Florida have confirmed their earlier warning of a growing bloom of sargassum seaweed, after satellite imagery captured the largest-ever April growth of the sea-surface algae. Under each images icon in the VAS (previous tab) there is a small GE button in the lower right corner. Its all over the place. Depending on winds and current, researchers estimate an early July arrival.. Since then, the Dominican Republics government and Punta Canas hoteliers have taken numerous big initiatives to address this issue, as tourism is the countrys main source of income. The beaches on Key Biscayne are regularly inundated with blankets of sargassum seaweed. University of South Florida scientists said January was the second consecutive month that the amount of seaweed doubled, reaching 8.7 million tons, which is enough to fill about 3,000 Olympic size pools. Cozumel SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know! More:Marine detectives: They're tracking syringes, blood vials, other disgusting stuff that washes up on our beaches. endobj
As of last month, sargassum in the Caribbean Sea and Central West Atlantic totaled an estimated 10.1 million tons, which is second only to the amount in April 2018. According to. Aruba SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! MTO FRANCE : 30/01/2023 Prvision dchouements dalgues sargasses, 28/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, MTO FRANCE : 26/01/2023 Prvision dchouements dalgues sargasses, Mexico : 2023 un ao con mucho sargazo para el Caribe Mexicano, MTO FRANCE : 23/01/2023 Bulletin de prvision dchouements de sargasses plagiques, 21/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, Mexico : Sol, mary sargazo: cmo la energa puede rescatar al paraso mexicano, MTO FRANCE Antilles Francaises : 16/01/2023 Bulletin de prvision dchouements de sargasses plagiques, 14/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, ANTILLES FRANCAISES : 09/01/2023 BULLETIN DE PREVISION DECHOUEMENT DES SARGASSES PELAGIQUES, Mexico & Florida: Growth rates of pelagic Sargassum species in the Mexican Caribbean, 06/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, ANTILLES FRANCAISES : 02/01/2023 BULLETIN DE PREVISION DECHOUEMENT DES SARGASSES PELAGIQUES. If you like to fish, you may have heard these floating algae mats called the "weed line," and they . SargassumseaweedhasbeenabigproblemforCaribbeancountriessince 2015. Never, said Gigi Rodriguez, a beachgoer trying to avoid the soggy situation on Dania Beach. But in mass quantities, it chokes life from canals, clogs boat propellers, and is a killjoy at the beach, piling up several feet deep like a rotting bog emitting hydrogen sulfide as it decomposes. Isla Mujeres SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! So, if you are planning a trip to Punta Cana, make sure to check the sargassum conditions on the beach or the place you intend to visit before you plan your trip. The satellite-based model shows the sargassum currently making its way from the eastern Caribbean to South Florida. Dominican Republic : Punta Cana SEAWEED Problem (2022): Everything You Need To Know!! He was part of a team of scientists that discovered the worlds largest sargassum bloom in the Atlantic Ocean, dubbing it the Great Atlantic Sargassum belt. Sargassum is almost non-existent in Bayahibe. This is the collection of Presentations from the Sargassum Symposium.Feel free to download what you wish. ", She continued, "I think the major issue is it's unpleasant. sargassum seaweed 1 year ago Save Heading down to Marathon and Key West May 8th for the week to get married and honeymoon and cant wait! It typically drifts in long lines near the Gulf Stream and provides vital food for young sea turtles. Seasonal seaweed is nothing new as its been creeping up since 2011, but experts have been looking into the cause. In 2022, Mexican federal officials expected the arrival of 32 thousand tons of sargassum seaweed in the country. Environ., 167, 229-246. doi: doi:10.1016/j.rse.2015.05.022, Huffard, C. L., S. von Thun, A. D. Sherman, K. Sealey, and K. L. Smith Jr. (2014). Anticipating sargassum season. Thus, both the image and surface currents can be displayed in Google Earth with a simple mouse click (see example below), thereby facilitating visualization and navigation. At first blush it might seem like sargassum is just a big mess, causing nothing but work and problems. Its too early to know how much seaweed will reach Floridas beaches, but it has shown up in varying degrees and depths during every major growth year, hitching a ride on the loop current to assail the Keys and areas north from Miami to Jacksonville. April 30th, 2022, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab (huc@usf.edu, szhang26@usf.edu) The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. It may be remotely connected to everything including climate change and human activities, but the most plausible theory is that prior to 2011, in the year of 2010, there was a stronger than usual wind and surface ocean current that brought some Sargassum from the Sargasso Sea to the tropic Atlantic, said Hu. People dont like it because its unsightly, said Mahady, the Boynton Beach ocean rescue chief. Find beaches without seaweed in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. Sargassum Seaweed in 2022 and 2023 Sargassum seaweed in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on August 7, 2022 (Credit: Doctry 360) However, it's important to note that even on islands affected by an influx of sargassum algae there are often beaches that are totally clear on the same island. By June 6, the leading edge of the massive river of dust reached South America, stretching more than 3,500 miles and coveringmore than 2.2 million square miles, according to theModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASAs Aqua satellite, which acquired a true-color image. However,thefrequencyandquantityofsargassumwashingup on Caribbeanbeacheshasconsiderablyincreasedsince2015. The seaweed originated from the tropical Atlantic, and is believed to be a result of climate variability and other natural and unnatural processes. . "2022 will be another major Sargassum year," stated the bulletin. Any use of the image, data, or graph from this bulletin page in reports or publications should obtain permission from the USF OOL group. Hardy, and E. J. Hochberg (2015), Spectral and spatial requirements of remote measurements of pelagic Sargassum macroalgae, Remote Sens. The raw satellite data are provided by the U.S. NASA and USGS. Oceanographers expectthe Sargassumto thicken on beaches from the eastern Caribbean throughout Florida's east coast. Mexico : Norma Muoz: La gente no est informada de los efectos del sargazo, dice que las afectaciones las mand Dios, Mexico : EL SARGAZO NO SE CONVIERTE EN ARENA, France : Bilan du BRGM : les taux mesurs en arsenic et en chlorure de sodium dpassent les normes imposes, Sargassum is worsening the conditions of the poorest people in Ghana, Un mystre aux proportions ocaniques : des algues sargasses forment dsormais un pont vgtal entre lAmrique et lAfrique, Republica Dominicana : Sargazo llega hasta las costas de Saman afectando las aguas del mar, Mexico : Sargazo, amenaza para el turismo y la salud, Mexico: On Mexicos Caribbean coast, mountains of seaweed grow, Florida USA : Invasion of the seaweed. This January already set a record for all previous January months.. Anegada changed to Puerto Rico East and northern image added. In this article, we have given detailed information about current sargassum conditions and sargassum season in Punta Cana in 2023, and the forecast for sargassum in Punta Cana in 2023. You can visit this website and see which beaches are currently affected by sargassum seaweed. Website Clearwater Beach See on Instagram Hours: Daily until dark Address: 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL. Environ., 167:247-258. Green and golden seaweed tides on the rise, Nature, 504:84-88. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Its a well-known fact that the majority of hotels in Punta Cana have live cameras overlooking the beaches. This rotting seaweeds huge hips detract from the beauty of pristine beaches, and its rotten egg odor makes water activities and swimming nearly impossible and extremely uncomfortable. Nitrogen-dense runoff from fertilizers, winds and currents could be a factor too. Interestingly, the 2020 sargassum season was pretty light and scientists are trying to figure out why. <>/Metadata 168 0 R/ViewerPreferences 169 0 R>>
There are studies looking into renewable ways to convert the seaweed into natural fertilizer, but more research is being done to find long-term solutions. Sargassum beaching events have also been reported in western Africa and northern Brazil. At present, no one can predict the long-term trend of Sargassum blooms, but it is unlikely that the beaching events of the past 5 years will stop. Especially, the sargassum problem is worst in Punta Cana in the months of July and August. Playa del Carmen SEAWEED Crisis [2022]: A Detailed Guide!! A record in January does not exactly mean a record in June. Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea,
Punta Cana is expected to remain relatively sargassum free in the first three months of 2023. But, like in 2022, it is possible that Punta Cana may continue to be hit by small-scale sargassum waves even after September 2023. Sargassum abundance in the Caribbean Sea will likely increase into early 2023, starting with the Lesser Antilles in January. According to the University of South Florida's "Outlook of 2020 Sargassum ," the . Miami, FL 33149, USA
LaPointe said areas of the Keys are already using it or considering it. The sargassum has a very special color tone, that can differentiate itself from the background water, so even if there is a tiny different we can squeeze the signal out, Hu added. Dr. Chuanmin Hu works at the University of South Florida and has been tracking sargassum over a decade. Finally, from October 2023 to December 2023, Punta Cana is expected to remain sargassum-free. Of particular importance are the two customized data products, namely the floating algae index (FAI) to detect floating algae and other materials on the ocean surface, and the color index (CI) to trace ocean circulation features. He said culprits in previous years typically included anything that would add nutrients to the surface of the ocean, including upwelling and mixing. Feagin, R. A. and A. M. Williams (2010). Today we are looking at conditions at Puerto Morelos. Locals and tourists take photos and videos of the various beaches in Punta Cana and share them in this Facebook group. In June 2021 (shown above) they found it in record-high amounts in the Caribbean, central west Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. A year ago, fed by sewage and fertilizers in Brazil and thereabouts, the same seaweed kept coming all summer long. *Notice* Yucatan has been changed to Quintana Roo North. Filmed on Thursday 21st April 2022 South Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, United States 489874 Hundreds of miles of beaches in South Florida have been covered in tonnes of stinky sargassum seaweed. This website shows the beaches that are currently affected by sargassum. Sargassum season arrives in late May or June and sticks around through hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30. June 2022 had a record high sargassum amount compared to any previous year, according to Hu. Further details can be found in the January 2023 bulletin below. Beaches up and down the Central Florida coast, at least from . USF / NASA Alert: Second consecutive monthly doubling of Sargassum ! However, once it reaches the beach, it begins to rot. Outlook of 2022 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico* In fact, experts are predicting that the sargassum crisis in 2023 could be as bad as the one in 2022, or even worse. Child rapists in Florida could face death penalty under new bill, Police search for man connected to armed home invasion, dog shooting, Local Weather: The heat holds as windy becomes the weather word Friday, Weather is 95% favorable for a liftoff tonight, but teams are keeping an eye on weather along Dragons ascent corridor, Atlantic Beach city commission passes new law to address homelessness, More whales are dying, marine conservation groups are concerned. Bird bonanza:Why four nesting shorebirds had Palm Beach County officials jumping for joy, Happy coral:How coral is thriving in a trashy, polluted port thrashed by cruise ships, Amazing discovery in Palm Beach County:Giant manta ray babies and a study that could save a threatened species, 'We were gobsmacked':Great hammerhead shark nursery discovered in urban area of Florida. Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck? In black are areas with not enough data. Here we show a few photographs that reveal the serious nature of the problem. The University of South Florida Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System has predicted 2018 will be a major bloom year, which is already impacting the Caribbean. The table below shows the four satellite sensors that are currently used in SaWS, with the first three sharing similar characteristics. Witherington B., H. Shigetomo, and R. Hardy (2012), Young sea turtles of the pelagic Sargassum-dominated drift community: habitat use, population density, and threats, Mar Ecol Prog Ser 463: 1-22. Pelagic Sargassum seaweed (Image courtesy of Tracy Villareal) is a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface. We tried to go farther in, but the farther you get, the more seaweed youre going to get all over, said Tanya Suarez, another beachgoer on Dania Beach. However, you must understand that the sargassum is a natural phenomenon. By doing this they can see how much is located in the ocean. These events can cause significant economic,
Punta Canas sargassum season in 2023 is also expected to last from March to September. Hu, C., L. Feng, R.F. As we've added more nitrogen from fertilizers, sewage, deforestation and other sources to coastal waters, seaweed and other aquatic plants seek more phosphates to balance their nutrients, Lapointe explained. Oct 8 06/10/2022 PRVISIONS POUR LES 4 PROCHAINS JOURS: Le courant de sud-est entrane les radeaux, qui pourront s'chouer principalement sur les ctes sud et est des les de #SaintMartin et de #SaintBarthlemy . Coast Guard pushes for law to curb reckless boaters, Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate Newsletter. St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
In 2019, the Parks Department said they spent an estimated $45 million dollars removing Sargassum from a 15-mile stretch of beaches in Miami-Dade County. Bayahibes beaches are more relaxed than Punta Canas, with fewer tourists and far fewer vendors trying to sell you souvenirs. The Sargassum aggregation in the east-central Atlantic (noted in previous bulletins) has continued to migrate westward and grow in size. Bayahibe resort town, as mentioned earlier is undoubtedly the best place to stay if you want to enjoy Dominican Republics world-famous pristine beaches without worrying about Seaweed. Its early in the year I know, but the seaweed is blooming in the Carribean already. Information from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida indicates that Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea has increased by more than 100% since December 2021. . Myrtle Beach vs Virginia Beach [2023]: An Honest & In-Depth Comparison to Help You Choose? The berries are filled with air and other gases; they float and help sargassum drift at the ocean surface, where it grows. and a multiday baseline, classifies the risk into three categories: low (blue), medium (orange)
By the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of South Florida (USF) Status: Jan 24-30, 2023 Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. The year 2022 was particularly bad, as a large amount of sargassum seaweed landed on the shores of many Caribbean countries, ruining their pristine white sand beaches and spoiling the holidays of many tourists. In fact, it's an important fish habitat that provides food and refuge for fish, birds, crabs, shrimp and many other marine organisms. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe. Sargassum has leafy tubular branches and berries. Biologists say the vegetation washing up on the Space Coast and shorelinesstatewide this week usually is beneficial to the beach. Preliminary analysis of CERMES . These mysterious 'devices' keep washing up on Floridas beaches. According. And then people don't want to come to the beach.. Written by Kristen Kusek, Communications Director for USF CMS. Our beach could literally be clean at 8 a.m. and three to four hours later a giant mat of sargassum the size of a mall will come in like the blob, like a Stephen King movie, said Tom Mahady, city of Boynton Beach Ocean Rescue chief. Director of Public Works Paul Brazil said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Environmental Protection are working with the town on ways to handle the sargassum during nesting season.