FILE – Record-breaking blooms of smelly sargassum seaweed are invading Florida beaches. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell was in Dania Beach on July 23 and explains that even though the brown microalgae can be beneficial for marine life, it can become a mess after decomposing on the beach.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Particularly odorous seaweed known as sargassum has made its return to beaches along South Florida’s Atlantic-facing coast during the final week of spring break for some U.S. colleges.
Sargassum was spotted on Fort Lauderdale beaches Friday, according to the nonprofit sargassum-tracking company Sargassum Monitoring.
RECORD SARGASSUM LEVELS IMPACTING FLORIDA BEACHES DURING SPRING BREAK
According to NOAA, sargassum rots on beaches and releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs.
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The Florida Department of Health said hydrogen sulfide can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, which can be particularly problematic for people with asthma and other breathing conditions.
While sargassum has been documented for centuries, it first became a major issue along Florida and Caribbean beaches in 2011 when large rafts of the smelly algae washed up on popular vacation destinations.
Beachgoers walk past seaweed that washed ashore on March 16, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
Scientists have attributed this to the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt — a giant bloom of seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean that has grown nearly every year since 2011. According to NASA, in March 2023, the amount of Sargassum seaweed in the Belt totaled 13 million tons.
The thick rafts of Sargassum seaweed are then carried by ocean currents and wash onto beaches.
Beachgoers sit among the sargassum seaweed that lines the beaches in Fort Lauderdale on June 23, 2022. The city has started composting the seaweed into soil. (Image: Brandy Campbell/FOX Weather)
(FOX Weather)
Scientists haven’t come to a consensus on the cause of this recent growth.
Some attribute it to increased agricultural runoff from North and South America, as well as Africa, while another popular hypothesis posits that changes in seasonal winds have allowed deep, nutrient-rich water to rise closer to the sea surface where the seaweed grows.
