Giant Atlantic Seaweed Bloom Is Spreading Across Florida and Mexico; How Is It Destroying Coastal Ecosystems?

The seasonal seaweed bloom has increased dramatically in the tropical Atlantic for more than a decade. As NBC News reported, this year's event is already massive.

The dense carpet of algae travels between the African coast and the Gulf of Mexico, providing a home for marine life and absorbing carbon dioxide; but it can also cause havoc when it gets near land. The seaweed bloom prevents light from reaching coral and has a deleterious influence on air and water quality when it decomposes.

(Photo : LEILA MACOR/AFP via Getty Images)
Sargassum seaweed covers the shore of Miami Beach, Florida, on August 1, 2019.

5,000-Mile-wide Seaweed Bloom Causing Havoc in Florida and Mexico

The raft of brown-colored seaweed bloom that spans about 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) or about twice the width of the US is so large that it can be seen from space. The thick blanket of sargassum floats between the shores of West Africa and Mexico and has since become increasingly concerned about the impacts of the algae.

It can choke corals, destroy coastal ecosystems and diminish water and air quality. Scientists say this is the largest seaweed bloom o record, stoking fears that its invasion on beaches in the next weeks and months could become more serious.

Research Professor LaPointe from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute told NBC News that although it is incredible to see such large seaweed bloom, it means that it will not be a clean beach this year.

Sargassum grows differently from season to season. LaPointe, who has been studying it for four decades, said massive mounds generally wash up on South Florida beaches in May, but beaches in Key West are now saturated with algae.

As per the Cancun Sun, the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, is bracing for up to 3 feet of sargassum accumulation in the coming days.

Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science explained that the size of the seaweed mass grows each year, with record-breaking rises in 2018 and 2022. He claims that this year is on track to break these records.

Adverse Impact of the "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt"

The "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt", what scientists call the seaweed bloom in the tropical part of the Atlantic Ocean, is a massive bloom of brown algae that weighs approximately 20 million tons. Usually, it benefits fish for habitat and as a carbon sink but its massive growth is causing destruction in coastal ecosystems, Science Alert reports.

Although the consequences of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt have concerned scientists for the past decade, experts say the bloom this year is particularly alarming. According to Sky News, the negative effects of the massive algae can suffocate corals, harm wildlife, threaten infrastructure, and decrease air and water quality.

A 2019 study also suggested that deforestation and fertilizer may be responsible for the bloom's alarming growth which is exacerbated by the effects of climate change.

As beached sargassum dies and rots, it creates a rotten-egg smell, Insider previously reported, causing huge problems for Florida and Mexico. Hotels and resorts spend millions every year to get rid of them and hire workers to collect the rotting seaweed to move them elsewhere.

RELATED ARTICLE: Toxic Algae Bloom Causes Poisoning To The Rising Number Of Sea Lions