What is the future of the beaches in Florida?

When will Florida be completely underwater? A look at the future of sea level rise. Florida will not be going the way of Atlantis any time soon, at least by human time scales. But sea levels are rising, and the state is sinking, and at some point that's going to cause problems for our 8,346 miles of shoreline.



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Red Tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by an overgrowth of algae in the water. In Florida, the red tide in 2023 has been caused by the toxic algae Karenia brevis.

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The act provides three interrelated programs that the Department of Environmental Protection administers to protect the state's sandy beaches: the Coastal Construction Control Line; Beach Management Funding Assistance; and Beaches, Inlets and Ports programs.

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A hurricane may cause severe dune erosion in as little as a few hours, but the sand may take several years to get back to the berm. The slow dune recovery by the wind may take as much as a decade following the worst storms. However, most of the sand eventually returns.

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Sea Level Rise The global warming caused by the rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the main trigger for the sea-level rise in recent decades. The rising global temperatures are melting the ice caps at the poles leading to the increase in the water level in the sea. Beaches are threatened by sea level rise.

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Since 2011, 2023 still ranks in the top half of the worst sargassum seaweed seasons. With the latest data, USF researchers say in June, sargassum will likely decrease in the Gulf of Mexico, meaning beachgoers may not have such a smelly experience. The USF lab forecasts the decrease to continue through August.

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2023 is shaping up to be a banner year for sargassum, a type of brown macroalgae now starting to wash up on beaches across the Caribbean. The thick dead tangled heaps of seaweed stink like rotten eggs and could cost many millions in holiday revenues this summer.

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Let's start on the western coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico where Marco Island sits. The largest of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, Marco Island is the safest area in Florida, according to the FBI's data. It does have a high cost of living—with a median home price of $1.3 million.

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However, as of 2021, more than 426.6 miles of this shoreline are critically eroded, or worn down or changed to “such a degree that upland development, recreational interests, wildlife habitat, or important cultural resources are threatened or lost,” according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

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