Massive Amount Of Sargassum Seaweed Washes Ashore In Florida
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People visiting Cocoa Beach, Florida said piles of sargassum seaweed weren’t what they expected during a day at the beach, in the video published on April 13, 2023, by FOX 35 Orlando, as “Massive sargassum seaweed covers Central Florida beaches“, below:
To find out more about Sargassum seaweed, please refer to excerpt from wikipedia, in italics, below:
Sargassum is a genus of brown (class Phaeophyceae) macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral reefs, and the genus is widely known for its planktonic (free-floating) species. Most species within the class Phaeophyceae are predominantly cold-water organisms that benefit from nutrients upwelling, but the genus Sargassum appears to be an exception.[1] Any number of the normally benthic species may take on a planktonic, often pelagic existence after being removed from reefs during rough weather. Two species (S. natans and S. fluitans) have become holopelagic—reproducing vegetatively and never attaching to the seafloor during their lifecycles. The Atlantic Ocean‘s Sargasso Sea was named after the algae, as it hosts a large amount of Sargassum.[2]
The size of annual blooms in the Atlantic increased by over a hundred-fold, starting in 2011, as a result of factors including increased fertilizer runoff in major rivers such as the Amazon and Congo.
Nutrient factors
The Sargasso Sea, a known source area for Sargassum blooms, is classified as an oligotrophic region.[36] With warm, oxygen-poor waters and low nutrient contents, biomass production is limited by what little nutrients are present.[37] Historically, low nutrient levels in the Sargasso Sea have limited Sargassum production. New influxes of nitrogen and phosphorus are driving factors in increased biomass production.[38][39][40]
Recent studies have found three likely drivers of nutrient influx linked to increasing Sargassum biomass: an increase in nutrient output from the Amazon River, increased nutrients in the Gulf of Mexico, and coastal upwelling off the West African Coast which transfers deep nutrient-rich waters to the upper water column where sargassum resides.[41][42][40] Nutrient output from the Amazon River has been shown to have a direct delayed effect on large inundation events, which occur one to two years after years of high nutrient output.[41] Phosphates and iron transported via the trade winds from North Africa have been reported to have a fertilizing effect on Sargassum growth; further data is required to understand its role in causing inundating blooms.[24] Researchers globally agree that continued research is required to quantify the effect of marine chemical changes and other environmental factors in the recent increase in Sargassum biomass and inundation events.[41]
Human effects
The effects of deforestation, waste-water runoff, and commercial agriculture fertilizer on facilitating the excess accumulation of nutrients in aquatic and marine environments have been well studied and shown to be driving factors in eutrophication.[49][50] Since detrimental Sargassum inundation events did not begin until 2011, it is likely that an unknown nutrient threshold was reached and surpassed. Given current agricultural policies and practices, it is unlikely these inundation events will disappear on their own without human intervention.
As food
Japanese cuisine as well as Chile have traditionally consumed Sargassum, known as hijiki, although it contains high amounts of arsenic, part of the arsenic cycle from groundwater, waterways, into oceans and back to land. There are methods to process and greatly reduce arsenic from this genus of seaweed, potentially making it a nearly inexhaustible food supply for animals or people.
Climate change
Variations in sea level, salinity, water temperature, chemical composition, rainfall patterns, and water acidity all play roles in regulating algae blooms.[51] As anthropogenic forces increase the variability of these factors, the frequency, duration, severity and geographic range of harmful algae blooms have increased, causing millions of dollars of lost revenue as well as damaging fragile coastal and coral ecosystems.[52]
Experts said Florida’s Atlantic coastline sees the potential for record amounts of sargassum this year. FOX Weather multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell spoke with beach goers on the appearance of the seaweed, in the video published on April 17, 2023, by FOX Weather, as “Massive Amounts of Sargassum Seaweed Continue Smothering Florida’s Beaches“, below:
A 5,000-mile-wide blob of floating sargassum seaweed has reached the Florida Keys. Superintendent of Parks for the City of Fort Lauderdale, Mark Almy, joined FOX Weather to talk about where all that seaweed goes once it reaches the coast, in the video published on April 12, 2023, by FOX Weather, as “5,000-Mile-Wide Blob Of Smelly Sargassum Seaweed Invading Florida Keys“, below:
Some spring breakers heading to the Florida shores may be welcomed with a record amount of smelly seaweed that has washed ashore. Thanks for stopping by Queen City News’ YouTube channel! We’re proud to bring you local stories, breaking news, in-depth investigations, Charlotte-area weather, and more! In the video published on April 12, 2023, by Queen City News, as “Smelly seaweed washes ashore in Florida“, below:
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
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