[Mexico, Global] A record-breaking mass of smelly seaweed stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico has been Continue reading Record-breaking seaweed bloom stretches from West Africa to Mexico
Category Archives: Marine water algal bloom
Algae bloom in marine water which includes red tide, brown tide, diatom and coccolitophore blooms.
Mexico struggling to deal with seaweed invading some of its Caribbean beaches
[Mexico] Mexico has spent $17 million to remove over a half-million tons of sargassum seaweed from its Caribbean beaches, and the Continue reading Mexico struggling to deal with seaweed invading some of its Caribbean beaches
Rare sea lion attack on teenager was because of algae poisoning, scientists suggest
[USA] A teenager in California was attacked by a sea lion last weekm and scientists say the aggressive move from the marine animal was Continue reading Rare sea lion attack on teenager was because of algae poisoning, scientists suggest
Glowing ‘blue tears’ in China’s seas are incredibly toxic — and they’re growing
[USA, Taiwan] On summer nights, the waters surrounding Taiwan’s Matsu Islands cast an eerie blue glow. The phenomenon, known as China’s Continue reading Glowing ‘blue tears’ in China’s seas are incredibly toxic — and they’re growing
More than 8 million farmed salmon in Norway killed by algae bloom
[Norway] About eight million farmed salmon have suffocated in northern Norway over the past week as a result of persistent algae Continue reading More than 8 million farmed salmon in Norway killed by algae bloom
Dolphin found dead in Gulf from blue green algae had signs of Alzheimer’s
[USA] Toxic algae blooms could be linked to a brain disease similar to Alzheimer’s, according to a new study published by researchers at Continue reading Dolphin found dead in Gulf from blue green algae had signs of Alzheimer’s
Mexican hotel to be built from bricks made with sargassum
[Mexico] After a successful trial construction of a home last year, there are plans in one region of Mexico to use the sargassum Continue reading Mexican hotel to be built from bricks made with sargassum
Marine algae bloom-derived biotoxins alter development of zooplankton and ocean food web
[Italy, Spain] Researchers from the University of Barcelona in collaboration with a team from the Zoological Station Anton Dohrn Continue reading Marine algae bloom-derived biotoxins alter development of zooplankton and ocean food web
Watch Earth from space: North sea algae bloom
[Global] The Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite takes us over the North Sea, revealing a significant algae bloom covering most of the southern part. Continue reading Watch Earth from space: North sea algae bloom
A dramatic seaweed invasion has hit coastlines across Florida and the Caribbean, killing wildlife
Shorelines around Florida and the Caribbean have been choked with invaders over the past month. No, it’s not tourists — it’s seaweed.
Sargassum seaweed, which originates in the Gulf of Mexico and is actually a type of algae, has been washing up on beaches and coastlines in vacation-heavy hotspots like Miami and Cancun since July.
The weeds have wreaked havoc on local fauna, choking coral reefs and destroying habitats for birds, sea turtles, and fish. The seaweed deluge has also made life difficult for fisherman, since it is capable of wrecking boat propellers, fishing nets, and engines.
Sargassum seaweed is usually pushed by currents into the Sargasso Sea — a large gyre off the coast of North America — where the floating mats serve as an important habitat for marine organisms.
Researchers are struggling to figure out why the weeds have started washing up on Caribbean coastlines. Some experts say the influx of Sargassum could be fueled by a combination of increased nitrogen pollution from agricultural runoff and rising ocean temperatures, according to The New Republic.
The first Sargassum invasion in the Caribbean was recorded in 2011, according to the BBC.
In some extreme cases, resorts have had to close beaches during the busy summer season to remove the seaweed. Here’s what the invasion looks like:
Sargassum algae is pictured along Punta Piedra beach in Tulum, Mexico on August 11, 2018. REUTERS/Israel LealThe most recent invasions began in July, and experts say they may last through September.
The island of Barbados declared a national emergency in August because of the seaweed invasion.
The seaweed can pile up to 7 meters thick (over 22 feet) on coastlines.
“We’ve had mass mortality of sea turtles that have gotten trapped under ever-thickening piles,” Hazel Oxenford, a Barbados-based fisheries biologist at the University of the West Indies, told The New Republic. “When the turtles try to come up for air, they drown.”
In its natural habitat in the Sargasso Sea, the floating algae provides a habitat for fish and crustaceans, which seabirds and sharks then feed on.
Researchers struggling to understand these Sargassum blooms have said more research is needed, especially into the role of nitrogen pollution and ocean acidification.
“The issue is that we never know what it’s going to be like — we can have a week or two weeks where it’s very clear and then all of a sudden overnight it washes in,” Larry Basham, chief operating officer of Elite Island Resorts, told the BBC.
“It’s yet another man-made problem that’s been thrown at the Caribbean that isn’t our doing,” Oxenford told The New Republic.
Photo: In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, children play on the beach full of sargassum in Bahia La Media Luna, near Akumal in Quintana Roo state, Mexico. AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
View original article at: A dramatic seaweed invasion has hit coastlines across Florida and the Caribbean, killing wildlife
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