Ajit Karn
A 5000-mile-long (8,047-kilometer-long) seaweed mat, roughly twice the width of the United States, is expected to create problems along the coastlines of Florida and Mexico, as scientists become increasingly concerned about the effects of the algae. According to a report, the immense expanse of brown seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean can be observed from space.
The “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt” algal growth stretches from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. It weights over 20 million tonnes and is the world’s largest algal colony.
In open water, these algae are typically harmless and even beneficial, serving as a habitat for certain fish and crustaceans and, among other things, absorbing carbon dioxide. According to the publication, sargassum is being forced west by ocean currents, resulting in massive amounts of seaweed washing up on beaches in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Its decomposition can suffocate corals, devastate coastal ecosystems, and degrade water quality.
This year’s proliferation is particularly alarming, according to experts, because “beach invasions in the future weeks and months could be particularly severe.” Professor of Research at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Brian LaPointe, told the publication, “It is remarkable. The satellite imagery does not portend well for a year with pristine beaches.”
Despite the fact that the mounds typically float ashore in May, he explained that Key West’s beaches are already covered in algae. This week, beaches in Mexico, including those in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, will experience a significant accumulation of sargassum.
According to Brian Barnes, Assistant Research Professor in the Faculty of Marine Science at the University of South Florida, the quantity of seaweed is increasing annually and will reach record-breaking levels in 2018 and 2022. He asserted that this year will surpass all previous benchmarks.
As seaweed decays, its effects on human health become increasingly apparent. It emits hydrogen sulphide, which can cause respiratory issues in nearby vacationers and residents. Furthermore, the eradication of hundreds of tonnes of algae from beaches is expensive and the invasions can also damage tourism.
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According to Mr. LaPointe, the Congo, Amazon, Orinoco, and Mississippi are among the world’s largest rivers that have been affected by deforestation, increased fertiliser use, and biomass fire. “As a result, nitrogen concentrations in these rivers are rising, and we’re now observing these blooms as a result of the altering nutrient cycles on our planet,” he explained. Climate change, he asserted, can exacerbate many of these problems by increasing inundation and runoff into significant waterways.
Mr. Barnes went on, “Historically, for as long as we have records, sargassum has been a component of the ecosystem; however, the magnitude is now so much greater. What we would have considered a significant proliferation five years ago is now a mere flicker.”
