These large blooms that scientists have seen develop since 2011 are problematic. A tractor plows seaweed that washed ashore into the beach sand on March 16, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Last updated by Steve Bennett on 05/11/2023. Although that's a month away, I'm curious if anyone has any insight as to when the seaweed might hit San Juan? Garitas (little golf type carts) Jun 06, 2023. He also noted that 2016 saw decreased levels, the only such year since 2011. visit the USF College of Marine Sciences website. (2016). "What I want to say now, you know to tourists is don't panic," Hu said. On the Atlantic pelagic Sargassum's role in carbon fixation and sequestration. On the other hand, Professor Hu was more sure about one thing. Middle right: Orange Beach, May 25, 2022, Alabama (video credit: Debbie Williams). It's about, I think, 3,000 square kilometres, with no gap.". Clin. Once in our region, the higher levels of sunlight, waterborne nutrients, and warm seas endemic of the Caribbean cause the sargassum to expanda lot. The maps show sargassum abundance for March (top) and April of 2023. Support The World's nuanced international coverage. (Editors note: For more on how Professor Hu and his team monitor and measure sargassum levels in the Caribbean, visit the USF College of Marine Sciences website.). . PeerJ 8:e8667. The University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Laboratory's College of Marine Science maintains a satellite-based Sargassum Watch System. And it could ruin that off-shore snorkelling or swimming you might want to enjoy. But Hu said there could be even more in March. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072932, Wang, M. et al. Because of this, Sargassum in the Atlantic is also called pelagic Sargassum. According to the Oceanographic Institute, which works in conjunction with the . In Floridanow they are crying, and we have been crying for ages. J. The seaweed is natural and provides a rich marine habitat for all manner of sea life. Huge masses of foul-smelling seaweed in the Caribbean could cause headaches for sun-seekers | CBC News Loaded. On the plus side, though, Prof Hu noted that sargassum levels decreased by 1520% in February. Imageset 1. Fabio Giorgi, the general manager of The Inn at English Harbor, said that at this beach, Freemans Bay, it only comes about three times a year. Then, both climate variability and human activities contributed to the inter-annual changes of the GASB. First, hotels and towns need to swallow the cost of removing these masses, in order to protect a lucrative tourism industry. 2023 The World from PRX. It came from the northern Atlantic and pushed sargassum to the tropical Atlantic, where it found perfect conditions to grow. The bulletins started in early February 2018, and they are meant to give an outlook of Sargassum bloom probability in certain regions in the upcoming months, based on bloom conditions in previous months, and previous years. With operations in . Sargassum patches detected by satellite imagery, courtesy of the University of South Florida (March 2023) April 2023. A giant blob of seaweed called the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is floating toward the West Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. 12:3060. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23135-7, Maurer, A. S., et al.(2021). According to SaWS, January was the second month in a row where sargassum doubled, which last happened in 2018. So, there's no way to stop this phenomenon in nature. Seas 4 to 6 feet with occasional seas up to 8 feet. For the last few months, the talk has been all about Sargassum, also referred to as the seaweed blob, the floating algae that's washed ashore in places such as the Florida . Professor Hus answer was about what youd expect. People remove Sargassum in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in April, 2022. Progress in Oceanography, 182:102269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2020.102269, 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. This is merely a collection of these cameras to help people see the local conditions of the beaches. Although the size and location of the GASB remained to be about 5 million square kilometers in the tropical Atlantic during peak months, there appears an increasing trend in Sargassum abundance (or areal density) within the belt. These increased winds have been pushing more sargassum into the West Indies. In the tropical Atlantic, all these conditions are met in favor of Sargassum growth. A user can select a region of interest through a clickable map (Imageset 5), and then follow the instructions under Where the Images are Found. Sargassum on beach is not toxic either unless toxic gases (hydrogen sulfide and ammonia) are released from rotten Sargassum. Ifyou have too much, if [it decomposes], it may be harmful, but it's not toxic most of the time," Hu said. But there's also ocean upwelling, he said, where water from deep below the ocean is brought to the surface, and along with it, more nutrients, which further supports these blooms. The number one thing most likely to ruin your next Caribbean escape is sargassum. Hu said, adding that that in December SaWS predicted that 2023 could be yet another record year, though . The occurrence of the GASB represents a new normal since 2011. At the same time, though, too much of the gold tide is not a good thing. If you insist on beachfront digs, though, focus your hotel search on your destinations west coast. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stating that 10bntonnes of carbon will need to be removed every year by 2050 to keep global heating below 1.5C, the Great Atlantic Sargassum belt contains a fraction of what needs to be sequestered but it could be scaled up with seaweed cultivation. Sargassum is a unique species of seaweed denoted by its small, air-filled berries. Although Sargassum can be found in most waters of the above regions, the timing can be different. The idea that it can be a nature-based solution for getting rid of some of this very small fraction but still significant amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, I think is an important and exciting idea, Subramaniam says. Distinguished by bubble-like formations in its stems that keep it floating on the surface, pelagic sargassum has sloshed about in the Atlantic since well before Christopher Columbus sailed across the wide Sargasso Sea: in 1492, he wrote that he feared his boat would be trapped in it. There are so many climate-positive uses for seaweed, but then there are many different seaweeds in the ocean, says Estridge. There are also higher-resolution satellites that provide zoomed in views for particular locations, but these satellites typically cover smaller areas (particularly around the coasts) and do not provide daily coverage. Everything depends on the tides, winds, and ocean currents. Pelagic Sargassum seaweed (Image courtesy of Tracy Villareal) is a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, as its known, is visible from space, stretching like a sea monster across the ocean, with its nose in the Gulf of Mexico and its tail in the mouth of the Congo. Latest Satellite Images LAST UPDATE: LOADING. Hus team detected a record amount of sargassum in the Caribbean in March. In Puerto Rico, researchers have been using it routinely to detect Sargassum aggregations and conduct research, finding excellent accuracy of the system when tracking large rafts and ocean eddies . Please choose an optionEnvironment and Social ImpactMedia InquiriesPartnershipReport an issueResearch & Technical ActorsTourism, 2023 Sargassum Monitoring , Surveillance Sargasses. We are committed to preserve the coastal fauna and flora. (1939), Quantitative observations on the pelagic Sargassum vegetation of the western North Atlantic, Bull. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10230-5, Olguin-Maciel, E., et al. At Seaweed Generation she developed technology to use the seaweed as a carbon sink. As it decomposes, it attracts bacteria and produces a gas that smells like rotten eggs. Giant seaweed bloom's beaching begins, expected to worsen The resolution is 30m, which means each pixel is 30m x 30m, so a windrow of Sargassum must be extremely large in order to be detected. Could robots save us from it and store carbon in the process? Under the surface it teems with life, like an upside-down reef. A further ten thousand is heading in the same direction the next week. Check out the map of the year and the map of the day : Map of the year 2023 Map of the Day www.sargassummonitoring.com - daily updates + The continuous ocean warming in the tropical Atlantic, may be another factor. Puerto Rico forums San Juan forum San Juan forums Meredith H 1 post Sargassum Seaweed Update? Over 46 thousand tonnes of sargassum seaweed are expected to be deposited across Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean in the next week. June 19, 2023. Estridge is forging ahead. Smathers Beach, Key West, Florida, March 5, 2023 (top, photo credit: Brian Lapointe), July 20, 2021 (middle left, the brownish water is due to Sargassum leachate, photo credit: Rachel Brewton). So, we started to see more and more sargassum.. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could get hit pretty . Remote Sens., 44, 36193625. Since then, the bulletins have been generated and distributed to subscribers by the last day of the month. An artists impression of the robots that will collect, bundle and sink the sargassum. Hook Bracelets Jun 15, 2023. Last year saw the most sargassum ever recorded. Red tide, hurricanes, spring breakers: These aren't the only factors beyond your control that can impact your vacation plans in Florida and the Caribbean. Sargassum assaults harm coastal wildlife and fish, and interfere with vital infrastructure, including water and power supplies. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy, Mto France French West Indies Caribbean. It was all around the ship for tens, hundreds of metres.. Even within the belt, the density is of less than 0.1 per cent," Hu said. According to the most recent update, a massive amount of sargassum will arrive on the Tulum coastline in August and September . Large and thick Sargassum mats on beaches can smother turtle nesting sites. Because of the large scale (about 5,000 miles or 8,000 kilometers long) and high abundance of Sargassum, the belt was termed the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. There are some speculations, but no concrete scientific evidence. The unexpected decrease highlights the importance of scientific research to improve our understanding of Sargassum dynamics, without which it is difficult to predict. Feagin, R. A. and A. M. Williams (2010). This Program was created in 2013 by Robert Webster to help with forecasting large Sargassum landings for Texas. Every winter, millions of Canadians head down to the Caribbean. Coll., Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, 6(7): 1-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2009.05.012, Hu, C., B. And, scientists believe that with a changing climate, there could be more ocean upwelling. Sargassum seaweed has not yet invaded Grenada's beautiful Grande Anse coast. There are currently several satellites orbiting around the earth, providing daily observations of every location in the ocean. In nutrient-poor waters Sargassum tends to have yellowish colors, and large rafts moving with currents and winds are often called golden tides. In nutrient-rich waters their colors often turn brownish, thus the name brown tides.. Interested readers are encouraged to read the references at "Further Readings". Remote Sens. The good news is that there could be some uses for the masses of sargassum, including using it as biofuel or even as building materials. Status: May 30-Jun 5, 2023 Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. It's not just a local thing. In April 2022, it was already known that the massive 32,000 tonnes of sargassum were on their way to Mexico. Remote Sens. The seaweed smothers coastlines, rots, kills wildlife and devastates local tourism and fishing. Sargassum watch warns of incoming seaweed, Eos, 97(22):10-15. https://doi.org/10.1029/2016EO058355, Hu, C. et al. The webcams below are owned and operated by diffrent companies. Hu said. SEAS Forecasting What Is Sargassum? The 5,000-Mile Floating Seaweed Island - Forbes Elsewhere, no dramatic changes (either increase or decrease) were observed. The group of young engineers and biologists travelled to the Dominican Republic to understand the scale of the problem and try to find solutions. Sargassum Seaweed - Culebra Forum - Tripadvisor Analysis of satellite data along with other data indicates that the GASB may be a new normal in the future. The seaweed originated from the tropical Atlantic, and is believed to be a result of climate variability and other natural and unnatural processes. Because of increased inquiries on Sargassum, the Optical Oceanography Lab at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science prepared the following FAQ page to address common questions in simple language. The mass, pictured in the map below, could be an estimated 13.5 million metric tons in 2023 and is known as sargassum. These monthly bulletins are also made available at the bottom of this page. on near-shore Caribbean seagrass communities. Sargassum seaweed washing up in Florida, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico And sargassums ability to suck up carbon is behind what it probably the wildest and most ambitious plan to date: capture it using robots, bundle it up and sink it to the bottom of the sea. Nevertheless, they fear it is only when the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt hits the affluent coasts of the Florida Keys or swamps the beaches of Cancn during spring break that significant investment will materialise. In June 2022, Hu estimated the size of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt to be 24.2m tonnes about four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza. "Since 201011, suddenly, some sargassum started to accumulate in a new area, which is just north of the equator in the tropical Atlantic.". Still, the peak months of June and July are right around the corner. By Lizzy Rosenberg Mar. In the field, Sargassum can be measured in different ways. Red indicates full inundation of seaweed on beaches. Chuanmin Hu and his team from the University of South Floridas (USF) optical oceanography laboratory had been monitoring it using satellite imagery since 2011 and had seen it explode in size. The seaweed originated from the tropical Atlantic, and is believed to be a result of climate variability and other natural and unnatural processes. Fed by human activity such as intensive soya farming in the Congo, the Amazon and the Mississippi, which dumps nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean, the sargassum explosion is by far the biggest seaweed bloom on the planet. By no means is it meant to be comprehensive. Two examples are given below. Here's what to know. Sargassum Monitoring , Surveillance Sargasses "Right now they're scattered here and here with a low density. (2017). The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. 2:14 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and. El Yunque day trip Jun 13, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2020.1789162, Rodrguez-Martnez et al. Green and golden seaweed tides on the rise, Nature, 504:84-88. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12860, The Journey of the Sargassum forum (link: https://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/557467/the-journey-of-the-sargassum.html), Trinanes, J., et al. Under each images icon in the VAS (previous tab) there is a small GE button in the lower right corner. The firm has built a robot like a cross between Pac-Man and a Roomba to collect and sink the blooms, and she hopes carbon credits will provide the income to fund the operation. Any use of the image, data, or graph from this bulletin page in reports or publications should obtain permission from the USF OOL group. Over the past decade, the foul-smelling seaweedhas becomemore common on beaches around the Caribbean and the south Atlantic Ocean. Unwilling to believe his eyes, he talked to other oceanographers, who confirmed that there was a huge sargassum bloom in the South Atlantic. I wouldn't worry about things.". In Freemans Bay, also in Antigua, sargassum is a rare appearance, and locals say it only appears on the beach about three times a year. According to the Miami Herald, the University of South Florida's (USF) Optical Oceanography Lab revealed that The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt contained an estimated 13 million tons . The effect literally chokes out sea life. It is beautiful, layered like golden mats on the surface of the open ocean. The Seaweed Blob Is Heading to a Beach Near You | WIRED UK So what can you do? Environ., 167:247-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2015.01.027. Sargassum seaweed health menace in the Caribbean: clinical characteristics of a population exposed to hydrogen sulfide during the 2018 massive stranding. "But if somebody could put all the sargassum in one place, what is the size of this? Jamie Oliver has embraced it as a recipe ingredient; Victoria Beckham uses it to keep off the pounds. However, sargassum can clump together, creating rafts or or patches. #sargassum #sargasso #sargazo #sargasses #sargassi #algues #algea #seaweed #sargassumbelt #sargassummonitoring . But we cant do it without you: Our fiscal year ends on June 30, and we need your help to reach our funding goal to ensure we can continue our work. In general, he noted that the southern Caribbean tends to see less sargassum than the Lesser Antilles. Large Sargassum mats in the ocean can bock the waterways for boats and tangle boat propellers. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. This year, though, forecasts predict there will be less of the stinky seaweed than in the previous two years. But for most of the Caribbean, there is still no remedy for it. Science, 365: 83 87. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw7912, Webster, R. K., and T. Linton (2013), Development and implementation of Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS), Shore and Beach, 81(3): 1 6. http://www.sargassoseacommission.org/storage/Webster_et_linon_2013_1.pdf, 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. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09970.