Will the seaweed blob affect the east coast of Florida?
The concern is the belt will leave large amounts of stinky sargassum seaweed on beaches in the Caribbean, Mexico and along the east coast of Florida. The brown seaweed, which can carry flesh-eating bacteria and make you sick, is known for its smell.
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In April, the seaweed set a record, with scientists identifying 3 million tons of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea. Piles of sargassum seaweed are accumulating on the beaches of Florida's Key West. Scientists say the seaweed is expected to increase even more over the next few months.
But already, sargassum beachings are increasing, with the southern regions of Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico looking likely to be the most impacted. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is the largest macroalgae bloom in the world, and this year's bloom is the largest recorded, spanning more than 5,000 miles.
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.
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.
“Sargassum normally does not accumulate in places like Sarasota Bay or Tampa Bay,” says Tomasko. “The biggest problem has been around the resort beaches in the Caribbean and Southeast areas, like Miami Beach.”
Sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean typically runs from May through October, with July and August generally being the worst months for its arrival.
Sargassum is at its worst between April and August, peaking in July and August, although this year saw the seaweed arrive early, with some beaches being hit heavily in March. What is this?
While exposed eastern shores are most likely to get hit by surges of sargassum, some beaches in Mexico have no sargassum. This includes Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo and Cozumel's western shore. They're generally seaweed-free. However, much depends on winds and ocean currents.
Most of the sargassum is on the east end. We did encounter some diving the north wall, and just a little bit in the West Bay/7 Mile area, but not a full on bloom. Just the normal wash up your find most places.
7 September 2023 Update: The Turks and Caicos is experiencing medium levels of sargassum at this time. Grace Bay, Leeward Beach, Sapodilla Bay, Taylor Bay, and the Bight Beach remain largely free of sargassum. Sargassum that washed onshore in late August has largely dissipated.
Popular resort hubs, including Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have ramped up efforts to deter sargassum from affecting travelers. What is this? Both destinations have set up temporary barriers and hired more cleaners in an effort to attract more travelers.