Florida Beaches Overrun With Stinky Mass of Algae

Posted: May 15, 2023 9:29 am

Many vacationers in Florida have been greeted by an unsightly mess on the beaches thanks to a large mass of sargassum seaweed that has washed up on the coastline of the Sunshine State.

What is Sargassum?

The giant mass of seaweed is both unsightly and smelly, sending tourists and locals away from the famed beaches. The sargassum recently landed in Florida after moving across the open ocean waters over the last several weeks. This brown algae comes together and floats across the ocean for miles.

While it delivers many benefits to a variety of marine life, it is a significant deterrent to beachgoers.

The smell of the sargassum is similar to rotten eggs. This stench is so bad at times that it can even lead to respiratory issues for vulnerable populations.

Local officials in Florida are growing increasingly worried about the impacts that the algae will have on the state’s important tourism industry. The sargassum is expected to grow more during its highest bloom months of June and July, just as the summer tourism season is in full swing.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to predict when the seaweed blob will wash up on shore. A pristine beach can be covered with the mess in a matter of hours, impacting both the sand and the water.

Impacts to Coastline from Sargassum

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working to create a weekly risk assessment detailing the predicted impacts for the area beaches that are mostly likely to be affected by the sargassum.

Many areas in the Caribbean Sea saw this massive algae infiltrate its beaches in April. Record levels of sargassum were recorded as the blobs grew to about 13 million tons in size. This algae has been recorded in places such as Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

According to the South Florida optical oceanography lab, the growth of this algae is related to a greater amount of nutrient levels that flows into the Atlantic Ocean from the Amazon River. The upwelling in the Atlantic Ocean also creates this growth of sargassum as cooler water and the necessary nutrients serve as fuel for the algae.

In addition to wreaking havoc along the beaches, the sargassum can also present problems for boat owners. When the algae blooms become too big, it can clog boat propellers and create damage.

The sargassum invasion is not a new issue for Florida. Several beaches have been impacted in recent years as the algae built up across some of the state’s most popular beaches. This includes areas in Key West, Miami, and Palm Beach.

Local officials have worked tirelessly to generate solutions to this problem. Experts in Palm Beach have suggested trying to bury the sargassum or manually move it.

Another idea is to corral the seaweed into barriers located off of the coast to keep it from interfering with area beaches. These barriers are already being used in the Florida Keys and in Mexico’s Tulum National Park.

A more innovative idea is to try to drag the algae patches into the ocean waters and sink it below the surface. This technology is still being developed but experts hope that it will be ready to try by next year.

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