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6/2/2023 - Seaweed ongoing at the beach shoreline

You may have noticed the increase of seaweed ongoing the beach shoreline. Mostly all of Florida beaches have begun experiencing an onslaught of sargassum seaweed as an historic 5,000-mile-wide bog drifts our way from its origins in the central Atlantic. Sargassum seaweed is not a new phenomenon, but this year’s mass is the largest ever recorded! Please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information about Sargassum seaweed.

Sargassum seaweed on Fort Lauderdale beach at low tide April 8, 2023. (Photo by Bonnie Gross)

Q. What is sargassum?

A. Sargassum is a type of floating brown algae, commonly called “seaweed.” These algae float at the sea surface, never attach to the sea floor, and they can aggregate to form large mats in the open ocean.

Q. Where does it come from?

A.Historically, the majority of sargassum aggregated in the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic, with some small amounts found within the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. In 2011, the geographic range expanded, and massive amounts of Sargassum moved west into the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and south tropical Atlantic, washing ashore in Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and most islands and coastal areas in the Caribbean Sea.

Q. What are the benefits of Sargassum?

A.Sargassum, in normal amounts, provides habitat, food, protection, and
breeding grounds for hundreds of diverse marine species, including
commercially important species, such as tuna and swordfish, which feed
on the smaller marine life present in sargassum mats.
If Sargassum reaches the coast in small/normal quantities, it may help to
avoid beach erosion.

Q. When is sargassum season?

A.Florida’s seaweed season typically runs from April until October, peaking
in June and July. The seaweed comes in waves, depending on currents
and wind direction.

Q. Is there a possible health impact?

A.The seaweed itself is not harmful to humans, but decaying sargassum on
beaches releases hydrogen sulfide that can impact people with breathing
issues. Decaying sargassum is not considered harmful because the gases
disperse quickly on breezy beaches.

Q. Can you remove sargassum seaweed from beach?

A.You might think the seaweed would be removed from the water before it
hits our beaches, but that is against the law because of its value as a
shelter and food source for marine life. Once the sargassum weed blob
hits the beach, the seaweed can be removed.

Where can I go to learn more about sargassum seaweed

A.Share the Beach: Guidelines for Beach Cleaning during Sea Turtle Nesting
season.
https://myfwc.com/media/3157/seaturtle-sharebeach-cleaning.pdf

Palm Beach County Guidelines for Beach and Dune Management

https://discover.pbcgov.org/coextension/horticulture/PDF/commercial/urbanforestr
y/beachdunemanagement09_updated.pdf

Florida Department of Environmental Protection-Removing Dead Fish and
Seaweed from Florida Beaches
https://floridadep.gov/file/26755/download?token=d47iHe7K
Florida Department of Health Sargassum Fact Sheet

https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beachwaterquality/_
documents/sargassum-factsheet-appr-final.pdf

University of South Florida Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System (SaWS)

https://optics.marine.usf.edu/projects/saws.html

Contact:
Brittany Collins
Public Information Officer
bcollins@rivierabeach.org
Cell: 561-371-1533