For World Oceans Day, we need to talk about the giant seaweed blob taking over Florida’s waters

By Christopher Harress Published: June 8, 2023 Read the original article in Reckon News. Florida’s pristine beaches have long been cherished for their soft sands and sparkling blue waters. But over the last few months, vast quantities of seemingly mysterious seaweed have been washing up on the beaches of West Florida. The blob, as some have called it, is thousands of miles long and reaches from the coast of West Africa to South America and right up into the Gulf of Mexico. Known as Sargassum, the seaweed is naturally occurring and very valuable to the various ecosystems it interacts with. However, as the seas have warmed and been awash with various nutrient-rich pollutants, the Sargassum has grown to an alarming size, giving scientists critical clues about the health of our oceans. Climate change is one of the primary factors contributing to the increased frequency and intensity of Sargassum blooms. Rising ocean temperatures, altered ocean currents, and nutrient imbalances have created ideal conditions for its growth. Reckon spoke to Amanda Prieto, the director of programs at the Miami Waterkeeper, a non-profit focusing on clean water, thriving habitats and sea level rise resiliency, about the Sargassum. Reckon: The world’s oceans are facing many challenges right now. But on the east coast, and in Miami in particular, people seem to be focusing on the thousands of square miles of seaweed appearing on the beaches. Can you tell me a little about that? Prieto: Sargassum is a naturally occurring type of seaweed and there are lots of benefits to it. It’s an active ecosystem for fish and crabs, and it originates in the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic Ocean. But then it drifts thousands of miles and the Gulf eventually picks it up. And that’s how it makes its way to our beaches. So, it’s nothing new. It’s been happening for long periods of time, but what’s new is it’s accumulating in massive quantities that have created a lot of fear. R: You mentioned the Sargassum has gotten bigger. What role has climate change and other types of pollution, like nutrient-rich fertilizer coming from the Amazon rainforest, played in this?