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Florida bracing for record amount of smelly seaweed
Posted
May 17, 2025
Views
20,746
Likes
512
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62
Engagement
2.77%
May 17, 2025
20,746
512
62
2.77%
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0:19Now PlayingPeople going to the beach in Florida this year will need to watch out for record levels of smelly seaweed called sargassum.
Researchers say there’s been a record amount of it in the Atlantic Ocean this year. It’s piling up on beaches, and it could turn away tourists. The seaweed has already been seen in the Caribbean islands and in Mexico.
In the open sea, healthy patches of sargassum can soak up carbon dioxide and serve as a critical habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp, turtles and birds. But if sargassum moves closer to the coast, the seaweed can wreak havoc on local ecosystems, smothering coral reefs and altering the water's pH balance.
Sargassum begins to rot after about 48 hours on land, releasing irritants like hydrogen sulfide, a hazard to anyone with respiratory issues like asthma.
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