Pelagic Sargassum seaweed is not new to many residents around Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. east coast, and the Caribbean Sea, but it is not until 2011 when large amounts of Sargassum were washed on many Caribbean beaches, clogging water intakes and hydrogenerator turbines, causing serious environmental and economic problems.
Recent findings suggest a continuous Sargassum belt from west Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, causing many problems but at the same time creating new research opportunities on ocean ecology, fisheries, and carbon science.
Sargassum Accumulations
