According to the study, there has been an explosive growth of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean since 2011. Referred to as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, this seasonally recurring sargassum growth often stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and weighs more than 20 million metric tons according to satellite imagery. This marks the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt as the world's largest macroalgal bloom.
Sargassum is common in the appropriately named Sargasso Sea region of the north Atlantic, and can be found in smaller quantities throughout the ocean. Under these circumstances, the seaweed actually provides a necessary ecosystem for some species of sea turtles, crabs, fish and ocean-going birds, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The explosive appearance of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, however, poses a number of problems for both animals and humans.
“People can have breathing problems. For people that have asthma that can cause severe health problems,” post-doctoral researcher at USF Mengqiu Wang told Fox 13.
In addition to medical concerns, thick layers of sargassum have impacted the fishing trade by blocking boats from launch, halting propellers and tangling nets. Oxygen-dependent ocean-dweller like sea turtles and dolphins may suffocate in their efforts to surface through the thick, entangled bloom, according to The Atlantic.
Scientists from the USF study speculate that the development of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt may be caused, in part, by increased nutrient discharge from an upwelling off the coast of West Africa during boreal winter and by Amazon River discharge during spring and summer. These factors, combined with moderate temperatures and the presence of seeds from the previous years’ blooms suggest that these seasonal blooms may be the new normal.
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This article appears in Jul 11-18, 2019.