sargassum seaweed 2023 forecast florida gulf coastaudit assistant manager duties and responsibilities
Sargassum seaweed blob heading to Florida explained | CNN Moderate risk of rip currents. was making its way toward the state's Gulf Coast with an estimated 13.5 million metric tons of the brown algae. A record amount of seaweed is choking shores in the Caribbean, How to handle a massive seaweed invasion? As predicted a month ago, sargassum amounts in the Gulf of Mexico decreased in June 2023, but the magnitude of the 75 percent decrease is beyond expectation, researchers said. If this trend continues through the summer, it means Floridas coast should see less sargassum than expected, though it will mean sargassum could end up on beaches in the eastern and western Caribbean regions. Outside of the rotting algae creating a severe and poor smell, the size of the sheet could impact local wildlife. The seaweed also decreased in the Caribbean Sea, reaching "minimal" amounts in its western areas, researchers said, while it increased in the Central West Atlantic. "What we thought was just a massive bloom has only gotten bigger and bigger and bigger each year," Barnes adds. Its dependent on the nutrients. "It's almost like sargassum is a barometer for how global nitrogen levels are changing.". It's already beginning to wash up in the Florida Keys and Barbados and elsewhere in the region, but researchers don't know where the bulk of it could wind up. owner, killed in Cape Cod car crash, Ohio groups submit 710,131 signatures to put abortion rights amendment on ballot, Yankees pitcher suspended for rest of 2023 season, Boy killed by stray bullet; grandfather wounded while trying to shield child, Sargassum seaweed threat to Florida beaches gone. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images A correlation in some regions between changes in sea surface temperatures and ocean circulation. Algae are ok. As long as they dont get too bad they affect the aesthetics and our health, said Professor Rosen. 12 Florida's First Coast may be particularly nasty this summer. Meet the sargassum belt, a 5,000-mile-long snake of seaweed circling Florida Just this April, sargassum levels in the Caribbean Sea reached a new record, with the overall belt growing to an. However, sargassum . Bloom sizes vary based on wind, river flooding, droughts and temperature. Sargassum seaweed threat to Florida beaches gone 01:59. . The sargassum seaweed belt in the Atlantic is still shrinking good Could be a non-issue for us. By Lizzy Rosenberg Mar. They have solutions to everyday challenges. However, in 2011, researchers began to observe explosive growth in the belt, known as the great Sargassum belt, thought to be sparked by excess fertilizer, raw sewage and soil runoff. The amount of sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico not only decreased in June, but the drop exceeded expectations, according to the June report from the University of South Florida. All about sargassum: satellite images, forecasts and outlooks. If you have asthma or other breathing illnesses, you will be more sensitive to hydrogen sulfide. Since 2011, the sargassum has reached epic proportions each summer, fluctuating from year to year and place to place. But the 6.1 million tons of seaweed surging west is still the second highest amount recorded for February . Thu 16 Mar 2023 12.37 EDT Last modified on Thu 16 Mar 2023 12.38 EDT It's brown, it weighs millions of tons, it stretches over 5,000 miles and it is headed for Florida's beaches. ORLANDO, Fla. A giant, smelly seaweed blob that stretches thousands of miles across the Atlantic continues to shrink, increasing the chances that its impact to Florida will be less than feared. Researchers said they will continue to monitor the moving blob. Youve planned the perfect beach day good book, sun screen, cooler full of your favorite beverage but as you approach the shore, you see them: massive clumps of brown spiky seaweed. The total quantity of the floating masses of seaweed is "expected to increase over the next few months, withimpacts of beaching events in the (Caribbean) and (Gulf) worsening accordingly," the University reported. However, sargassum . Seaweed, sargassum bloom could reach South Florida beaches in March On land, sargassum begins to rot andproduces hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. More than double the width of the contiguous U.S., the mass fluctuates in size from month to month, with the high point generally landing in the summer. Sargassum in Florida: Largest seaweed bloom likely ever recorded - WTSP.com All rights reserved. Updated: 8:23 AM EDT March 15, 2023. The sargassum belt, which blooms in the Atlantic and then drifts westward, eventually reaching Florida beaches, shrank slightly during the month of June, which is consistent with predictions . 2 min read. Waves filled with sargassum continue washing up on beaches in the Caribbean Sea and southern Florida and the stacks of seaweed are expected to get worse in the weeks ahead. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Today, the patches comprise a 5,500-mile-long, 10 million-ton belt that circulates annually, starting near West Africa and snaking through the Gulf of Mexico back into the Atlantic. owner, killed in Cape Cod car crash, Ohio groups submit 710,131 signatures to put abortion rights amendment on ballot, Yankees pitcher suspended for rest of 2023 season, Boy killed by stray bullet; grandfather wounded while trying to shield child. The Atlantic seaweed known as sargassum will be coming ashore and may be particularly plentiful this year. A record abundance of the seaweed was seen on satellite images in the Caribbean in April, the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab said in a monthly update released this week. That's because the seaweed will follow the Gulf Stream current, which moves around Cuba, past the Florida Keys and then makes its way around Miami and the east coast of Florida, it's those beaches . While sargassum has clogged beaches and annoyed beachgoers across South Floridas coast this spring entire Facebook groups are dedicated to monitoring the seaweed the mass in the Atlantic is still decreasing in size, according to scientists from the University of South Florida. You may have trouble breathing after you inhale it, according to the Florida Department of Health. Though Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida have always experienced such . Beach webcams: Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions, See conditions at Florida beaches: Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions. And forecasters are now seeing a continued reduction of the seaweed wave. A mass of Sargassum seaweed floating toward the West Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico will likely be the largest ever recorded, the University of South Florida said Friday. The concern is the belt will leave large amounts of stinky sargassum seaweed on beaches in the Caribbean, Mexico and along the east coast of Florida. Seaweed clump nearly double the width of U.S. floating at sea. It makes it almost impossible to fish," Friedman said. An estimated 200 tons of sargassum already began washing up on beaches along the Yucatn Peninsula earlier this month, spurring local authorities to jump into cleanup operations. 01:59. / CBS News, Florida's monthslong hit from a giant blob of seaweed that smells like rotten eggs may be over sooner than what was previously thought. Smells very bad, emits a bad gas. 'Sargassum season for Florida is gone': Mysterious seaweed Here are severalwebcamsaround the state. And that should mean cleaner Florida beaches over the next few months. "What we've found in studying these plants over the last four decades is that the ratio [of nitrogen to phosphorus] is going up, and that's exactly what's happening to all these major river systems," Lapointe said. Monthly bulletins from the University of South Florida suggest there's a significant amount of the seaweed around beaches this year . Your heart sinks and your nose wrinkles. Beach webcams:Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions, See conditions at Florida beaches:Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions. USA Today climate, environment reporter Dinah Voyles Pulver contributed to this story. Those Seaweed Blobs Headed for Florida? See How Big They Are. PREVIOUS IMPACT OF SARGASSUM BLOOMS IN SWFL: Massive algae bloom brings large amount of seaweed to Florida beaches. And while the seaweed itself doesn't cause any kind of harm to humans, it's home to tiny creatures that can irritate skin and the hydrogen sulfide packs the ability to trigger eye, nose and throat irritaton, as well as potentially causes those with asthma or other breathing issues to have trouble breathing. In Barbados, local governments employed 1,600 dump trucks daily during the peak season to clean the beaches for tourists, LaPointe told NPR. But in the meantime, the blooms continue to get bigger and bigger. A portion of the Big Bend and around Miami show coastal risk levels at medium, according a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that examined beach conditions from June 27 through July 3. Hydrogen sulfide can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Heat and storms continue in the Orlando area. Overall, the amount of sargassum quantity in the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, which extends from west Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, in June decreased slightly from May. Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News. If you haven't heard of the great Atlantic sargassum belt, or even if you have, chances are high that you'll see it pop into your news feed at least once this summer. Overall, the amount of sargassum quantity in the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, which extends from west Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, in June decreased slightly from May. Sargassum increased in the Central West Atlantic. June report from the University of South Florida. As the season moves toward summer, the density increases, and the belt shifts northward, allowing more seaweed to spread into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. 2023, in Key West . Sargassum, a seaweed that often washes up the Florida coast, is expected to be extra abundant this year.
