Wang et. al report in the journal
Science on the world's largest seaweed bloom.
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Originally Posted by Wang et. al. Science. "The great Atlantic Sargassum belt". Abstract.
The biggest bloom
Floating mats of Sargassum seaweed in the center of the North Atlantic were first reported by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. These mats, although abundant, have until recently been limited and discontinuous. However, Wang et al. report that, since 2011, the mats have increased in density and aerial extent to generate a 8850-kilometer-long belt that extends from West Africa to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (see the Perspective by Gower and King). This represents the world's largest macroalgal bloom. Such recurrent blooms may become the new normal.
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Originally Posted by University of Florida
To unravel the mystery, the team analyzed fertilizer consumption patterns in Brazil, Amazon deforestation rates, Amazon River discharge, two years of nitrogen and phosphorus measurements taken from the central western parts of the Atlantic Ocean, among other ocean properties.
While the data are preliminary, the pattern seems clear: the explosion in Sargassum correlates to increases in deforestation and fertilizer use, both of which have increased since 2010.
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Story from University of Florida here :-
https://phys.org/news/2019-07-scient...oom-world.html
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Originally Posted by Associated Press 4 July 2019
The study says sargassum, which turns clear sea water brown, has been an issue since 2011. Apart from 2013, each year the seaweed returned in larger quantities on beaches throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. Some places, such as Miami Beach, have had so much sargassum at times that swimmers are blocked from entering the water.
The thick seaweed also releases hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like rotten eggs, which can cause problems for those with respiratory issues.
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Story about problem for Mexican beaches here :-
https://phys.org/news/2019-06-mexico...-invasion.html
Story about problem for Florida beaches here :-
https://phys.org/news/2019-07-seawee...x-florida.html