Sargassum Seaweed Bloom Threatens Florida and Caribbean Beaches

The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, a massive bloom of free-floating brown seaweed, is headed towards Florida and the Caribbean, with 2023 predicted to produce the largest bloom ever recorded. The increase in sargassum over the past decade is likely due to a drastic increase in agricultural activity in the Brazilian Amazon, sending rising levels of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Atlantic Ocean via the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Sargassum has devastating effects on recreational beaches, underwater grasses, and sea life, and until nations find ways to reduce large-scale nutrient pollution, huge sargassum blooms will be a recurring presence in Florida and the Caribbean.