Sargassum. Medical search. Frequent questions

Kicking off Wednesday, July 12, 2023 , the open call seeks novel and sustainable uses to beneficially repurpose sargassum, a type of seaweed known for forming large floating mats that wash up on beaches across the world during the warm summer months. (businesswire.com)
Through this article we have provided thorough information regarding current sargassum seaweed settings in Cancun beaches, its seasonal presence and our outlooks for Sargassum activity there during 2023. (smartxpat.com)
Regrettably, the Cancun Seaweed Forecast for 2023 is predicting a repetition of this year's sargassum seaweed inundation, signifying an impending problem. (smartxpat.com)
Hydrobiologist Esteban Amaro, director of the Sargasso Monitoring Network, has determined that 2023 will be an especially active year for sargassum seaweed collection. (smartxpat.com)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2023) - A five-year, $3.2-million grant from the NOAA Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algae Blooms program will allow a team of researchers led by USF College of Marine Science (CMS) to better forecast sargassum blooms and prevent them from plaguing coastal communities. (tampabaynewswire.com)

At the national level, the Office of the Prime Minister formed a Blue Economy team to manage the effects of sargassum influxes - comprises the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Barbados Defence Force, Ministry of Agriculture and the Fisheries Division. (sargassumhub.org)
Collection and removal has been the absolute priority of the French government to mitigate the harmful effects of sargassum strandings. (sargassumhub.org)
Barnes, who has studied sargassum at the College of Marine Science's Optical Oceanography Lab since 2015, will use satellite, hydrographic and water-quality data to illuminate the effects of sargassum on coastal waters and beaches in order to develop better forecasting solutions. (tampabaynewswire.com)

According to the latest report from the Oceanographic Institute of the Gulf and the Caribbean Sea, of Semar, which tracks sargassum levels at beaches in the Mexican Caribbean region, there will be a "very low" presence of sargassum in the region for February. (travelmarketreport.com)
The presence of sargassum is sporadic, with free access to the surf zone being possible, without observing cumulus clouds or continuous lines of sargassum on the beaches. (travelmarketreport.com)
Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly e xpanding in the Sargasso Sea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. (news-medical.net)
Since 2011, beaches touching the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico have been inundated with mass quantities of Sargassum. (inverse.com)
What About When Sargassum Seaweed Washes Up on Beaches? (carbonwave.com)
Sargassum seaweed is a brown species of alga that arrives on the shorelines of beaches throughout the Caribbean island region and. (sustainabledevelop.com)
As sargassum decomposes on beaches, it releases disagreeable odours. (esa.int)
Sargassum is at the mercy of winds and currents and it is difficult to predict which areas and beaches will be more affected. (esa.int)
Barbados, like the rest of the Caribbean region, first experienced extraordinary volumes of sargassum within their nearshore waters and washed up on their beaches in 2011. (sargassumhub.org)
At the national level, the Blue Economy team work together to clear and remove sargassum from affected beaches using manual labour and heavy equipment. (sargassumhub.org)
Sargassum seaweed may be back on South Florida beaches (video story. (fiu.edu)
Already under attack from erosion and sea level rise, South Florida beaches face a new crisis: the invasion of Sargassum seaweed. (fiu.edu)
An influx of Sargassum has covered east coast beaches from Cumana to Guayaguayare since April. (co.tt)
The Outlook of 2021 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, released by the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab on at the end of February 2021 indicated that, "…the eastern [Caribbean Sea] will likely experience increased amounts of Sargassum in March and April 2021, while some of the Lesser Antilles Islands will continue experiencing beaching events on both their windward leeward beaches. (caricom.org)
A more precise sargassum forecasting system will provide communities in Florida and the Caribbean advanced warning that their beaches may be impacted, and allow them to better prepare for an inundation event. (tampabaynewswire.com)
I have recently learned that the Sargassum arrival has completely changed the dynamic of some very important coastal environments in our region and we all need to take a better look at the issue if we want to continue enjoying our beaches and reef in the future. (theoceancleaner.fr)
Sargassum is part of the marine environment and has ecological value, when the quantities that reach our beaches are normal. (theoceancleaner.fr)
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) says several of the country's beaches in St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas, and St Catherine are currently being heavily impacted by an influx of Sargassum. (nationwideradiojm.com)
Here are some resorts that clean up sargassum seaweed and the economic impact of seaweed on Florida and Caribbean beaches . (slipmaps.com)
Tulum, Q.R. - In order to address the problem of sargassum on the beaches of Tulum, the Navy of Mexico delivered a vessel to City Hall, which will be used in the Tulum National Park. (riviera-maya-news.com)
The donated vessel was received by mayor Victor Mas Tah and municipal officials who thanked Captain Hugo Cárdenas Verdugo and the willingness of the federal authorities to reinforce the work of collecting sargassum on the public beaches. (riviera-maya-news.com)
The coordinated efforts of the various levels of government is important, along with society and businessmen, who are joining in the task of collecting sargassum, since it is necessary to recover the beauties of the Tulum beaches for the benefit of citizens, as well as domestic and foreign tourists," explained the mayor. (riviera-maya-news.com)
The boat was transferred to Playa Pescadores where it will be equipped for the collection of sargassum on the beaches of Tulum National Park. (riviera-maya-news.com)
Around 650 feet (200 meters) of sargassum barriers are currently being installed along the beaches of Tulum National Park. (thecancunsun.com)
How are beaches kept clear of Sargassum? (cnslocallife.com)
While I don't know if that includes the accommodation you will be using in East End and on the Sister Islands, there is a process in place when the Sargassum hits the beaches here, though I cannot say definitively how long it will take to remove the seaweed. (cnslocallife.com)
The timing of major Sargassum events often coincides with peak sea turtle nesting on Cayman Islands beaches," the official explained. (cnslocallife.com)
Our turtle nesting monitoring programme collects daily data on the presence and exact location (with GPS coordinates) of turtle nests on our beaches," the official explained, so when a tourism property asks the DoE for permission to clear Sargassum from a beach, the department can cross check the location with the data collected on the location of turtle nests. (cnslocallife.com)

Most species within the class Phaeophyceae are predominantly cold-water organisms that benefit from nutrients upwelling, but the genus Sargassum appears to be an exception. (wikipedia.org)
Sargassum species are cultivated and cleaned for use as an herbal remedy. (wikipedia.org)
Many Chinese herbalists prescribe powdered Sargassum-either the species S. pallidum, or more rarely, hijiki, S. fusiforme-in doses of 0.5 grams dissolved in warm water and drunk as a tea. (wikipedia.org)
Different species of Sargassum have folk applications in human nutrition and are considered a rich source of vitamins, carotenoids, proteins, and minerals. (wikipedia.org)
The Sargassum patches act as a refuge for many species in different parts of their development, but also as a permanent residence for endemic species that can only be found living on and within the Sargassum. (wikipedia.org)
In total, these Sargassum mats are home to more than 11 phyla and over 100 different species. (wikipedia.org)
There is also a total of 81 fish species (36 families represented) that reside in the Sargassum or utilize it for parts of their life cycles. (wikipedia.org)
The type species (holotype) of the genus Sargassum is Sargassum bacciferum (Turner) C.Agardh . (algaebase.org)
At least three pelagic species of Sargassum have been dominant in the blooms that have occurred along Caribbean coastlines in great quantities. (frontiersin.org)
Sargassum, according to the resource guide for the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) published in July of 2015 is defined as follows "Sargassum is a species of brown algae. (barbados.org)
Although individual meroterpenoids of Sargassum species have been reported to possess strong activity against Alzheimer's disease (AD), the active compounds of Sargassum serratifolium have not been fully explored. (nih.gov)
On its own, Sargassum provides essential habitats, food, and breeding grounds for numerous marine species. (allervie.com)
He says these large blooms do not have the same number and diversity of species as standard-sized sargassum mats. (ufl.edu)
Sargassum is a species of seaweed (algae) that floats on the surface of the ocean. (carbonwave.com)
While sargassum is living in the ocean, it's completely normal and actually serves as an important part of the ecosystem for various ocean species - think fish, crabs, sea turtles, birds, shrimp, and more - to live, eat, and/or thrive in. (carbonwave.com)
The normalised floating algae index (NFAI) allows to infer the presence and concentration of floating algae (supposed to belong to the sargassum species) at the surface of the ocean from optical medium-resolution sensors such as Sentinel-3/OLCI and MODIS. (esa.int)
The session-which will be conducted with the assistance of Prof Mona Webber of the Marine Science Centre, UWI, Mona Campus, Jamaica-will focus on techniques for harvesting, handling, species identification and processing of Sargassum seaweed for initial evaluation. (caricom.org)
Sargassum muticum (Japweed) is a species of brown algae in the family Sargassaceae . (eol.org)
Often referred to as Gulf weed or sea sargassum, this seaweed is native to the Atlantic Ocean 's "sea of sargassum" habitat and provides a home for many species of wildlife. (smartxpat.com)
Hundreds of species or living organisms can be found within these masses of Sargassum, juvenile fish find shelter, crabs and other crustaceans drift with the Sargassum in the open ocean while they find food and a healthy habitat among these floats. (theoceancleaner.fr)
The sargassum patches act as a refuge for many species in different parts of their development. (daufuskieisland.com)

The Government of the Virgin Islands is working on the development of a comprehensive policy and implementation strategy to address the current influx and potential future influxes of Sargassum. (gov.vg)
He said a sensible response to the Sargassum influx is not an attempt to completely rid the Territory of the seaweed. (gov.vg)
For the past decade, an influx of Sargassum has been washing up on the Mexican Caribbean shore due to alterations in ocean temperature, waves, and currents . (smartxpat.com)
While sargassum can be found in the Sargasso Sea throughout the year, its influx to coastal areas, such as Florida and the Caribbean, can be more prevalent during specific seasons. (slipmaps.com)
It's important to note that the severity and timing of sargassum influx can vary from year to year due to various factors such as oceanic conditions, weather patterns, and nutrient availability. (slipmaps.com)
While the exact timing and intensity of sargassum seaweed influx can vary from year to year, there are some general trends regarding the months that are considered less prone to heavy sargassum accumulation in certain regions. (slipmaps.com)
If you want to avoid the heaviest sargassum influx, the months outside this peak period, such as late fall and winter (October to February), may have relatively lower sargassum presence. (slipmaps.com)
It's worth noting that sargassum influx can be unpredictable, and the timing and severity can vary each year. (slipmaps.com)
We understand that the heavy influx of Sargassum seaweed this year is a problem not only for Cayman but also across many areas of the Caribbean and Central America. (cnslocallife.com)
The DoE has also worked with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute on a poster which provides guidance to all beachfront property owners on how to respond to a Sargassum influx, which you can read here . (cnslocallife.com)
So, while I cannot guarantee that the beach you will be using in Cayman will be free of Sargassum, and nothing can really be done to prevent the influx of this seaweed, there are processes in place to clear up the problem on our shores as fast as possible. (cnslocallife.com)

This study investigated the effects and the anti-inflammatory activity of Sargassum muticum ethanol extract in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells and in a croton oil-induced mouse ear edema model. (ijpsonline.com)
Pretreatment of lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells with Sargassum muticum ethanol extract (0.1-100 μg/ml) inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha in a dose-dependent manner. (ijpsonline.com)
The expression of lipopolysaccharide-induced, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in the Sargassum muticum ethanol extract-treated group was also suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. (ijpsonline.com)
Furthermore, we found that Sargassum muticum ethanol extract induced anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting Mitogenactivated protein kinases (extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38) and nuclear factor kappa B, p65 phosphorylation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. (ijpsonline.com)
The antiinflammatory activity of Sargassum muticum ethanol extract in vivo was evaluated in the ear edema model of a croton oil-treated mouse. (ijpsonline.com)
Compared to the untreated control, croton oil-induced ear edema was found to be reduced by about 33 % upon treatment with 250 mg/kg Sargassum muticum ethanol extract. (ijpsonline.com)
Sargassum muticum ( S. muticum ) is a brown algae belonging to the genus Sargassum [ 14 ] and is widely distributed in the southern and eastern coasts of Korea. (ijpsonline.com)

The Atlantic Ocean's Sargasso Sea was named after the algae, as it hosts a large amount of Sargassum. (wikipedia.org)
That was not the first time El Recodo has faced issues because of the overwhelming amount of sargassum on its beachfront-similar issues have come every spring and summer for the last few years, including major issues in 2019 and 2021. (travelmarketreport.com)
The amount of sargassum seaweed in Cancun varies by season and even daily. (slipmaps.com)
The reason given for this is that these specialized ships will be used in tandem with the barrier system and, on their own, aren't capable of making a meaningful dent in the amount of sargassum affecting Tulum's beachfront. (thecancunsun.com)

Increasing sargassum blooms are attributable to many factors, including changes in ocean currents, extreme weather, and warming waters associated with climate change," said Morgan Higman, Florida Climate Strategy Director, The Nature Conservancy. (businesswire.com)
Mass blooms and stranding of pelagic Sargassum spp. (frontiersin.org)
The magnitude of Sargassum events in the Caribbean Sea since 2011 make us aware of the necessity to tackle these events, and macroalgal blooms generally, not only locally but on a regional scale. (frontiersin.org)
A consequence of this finding is that it presents us potentially with the opportunity to use those nitrogen and phosphorus markers in Sargassum tissue to fingerprint the ultimate sources of these nutrients that are sustaining these seaweed blooms. (whoi.edu)
According to LaPointe, recent large sargassum blooms in the Florida Keys are a response to high nitrogen levels in the water coming from increased agricultural and urban runoff. (ufl.edu)
LaPointe and his team first noted a major regime shift in sargassum in 2011 when blooms in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea reached an unprecedented magnitude. (ufl.edu)
What is causing sargassum seaweed blooms to flourish and grow, you ask? (carbonwave.com)
These sargassum seaweed blooms are a direct consequence of those actions. (carbonwave.com)
Floating macroalgae called sargassum has been in the news recently, forming massive floating blooms that can stretch across the Atlantic Ocean, such as the 5,000-mile and 13-million-ton behemoth seen this past April. (tampabaynewswire.com)
The College of Marine Science has tremendous expertise in the remote sensing arena and resident researchers are leading the way toward improved detection and monitoring of sargassum blooms," said Tom Frazer, professor and dean of CMS. (tampabaynewswire.com)
Some years may experience heavier sargassum blooms and more extensive shoreline accumulations, while other years may have milder or shorter sargassum seasons. (slipmaps.com)

More than a decade after the first inundation event, sargassum is still widely viewed as an environmental nuisance. (sargassumhub.org)
Despite sargassum inundation being an issue to Barbados for a decade, the island has not been able to do much to contain the influxes. (sargassumhub.org)
The goal is to be able to put a single beach on alert when a sargassum inundation is imminent, instead of alerting the entire Caribbean," Barnes said. (tampabaynewswire.com)
This grant allows those areas most impacted by sargassum, such as Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, to better prepare for potential inundation events and, with appropriate intervention, lessen devastating effects to their communities. (tampabaynewswire.com)

The worst months for sargassum are typically May to October, when currents in the Caribbean Sea carry it from the Gulf of Mexico to other areas, including the shores of Cancun. (travelmarketreport.com)
Sargassum tends to accumulate into large mats that drift through the water in response to wind and currents. (ufl.edu)
Sargassum gets pushed by the currents and will often cluster together into islands of floating seaweed. (carbonwave.com)
A daily sargassum mats mapping is one of the inputs for drifting simulation modelling, together with weather and surface currents data coming from Copernicus CMEMS and other sources. (esa.int)
Sargassum is a type of seaweed that typically comes ashore on the Mexican Caribbean coastlines in the summertime as a result of ocean currents. (smartxpat.com)
Sargassum does not originate on the bottom like other kinds of algae, it reproduces and grows while drifting with the currents and floats in the water column until it reaches the coast where, usually, exits with the movement of the water (waves and currents) onto the sand. (theoceancleaner.fr)
In the open ocean, islands of Sargassum are formed as the currents reassemble large quantities and keep them together as a floating island thanks to the gyres. (theoceancleaner.fr)
Sargassum is a brown free-floating seaweed which is customarily not harmful and its movements depend solely on ocean currents. (nationwideradiojm.com)
During these months, ocean currents and winds can carry large masses of sargassum from the Sargasso Sea and deposit them onto the shores of affected regions. (slipmaps.com)
Factors such as ocean currents, weather patterns, and nutrient availability can influence the arrival and extent of sargassum. (slipmaps.com)
Instead, the plan now is to use the barriers to divert sargassum away from Tulum completely, where it will then be dragged further out to sea where the currents will naturally carry the sargassum away from the Riviera Maya. (thecancunsun.com)

Sargassum was named by the Portuguese sailors who found it in the Sargasso Sea. (wikipedia.org)
Below is a list of organisms that are associated with the Sargassum in the Sargasso Sea. (wikipedia.org)
The paper also indicates that the nutritional status of Sargassum in the GASB is enriched, with higher nitrogen and phosphorus content than are populations of Sargassum that reside in its Sargasso Sea habitat. (whoi.edu)
Sargassum usually comes from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean around Bermuda, which was named for the Sargassum seaweed which floats there. (co.tt)
However, many scientists believe this Sargassum invasion of the Caribbean, similar to the one in 2011, has no connection with the Sargasso Sea. (co.tt)

Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales of the Phaeophyceae class. (wikipedia.org)
Woods Hole, Mass. - Under normal conditions, the floating macroalgae Sargassum spp. (whoi.edu)
Sargassum, a type of brown macroalgae, has exploded across the region as a result of changing temperatures. (nih.gov)

The Florida Keys and mainland South Florida are well known for the high levels of Sargassum covering their shores. (wikipedia.org)
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum , and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. (news-medical.net)
If you're visiting the Florida coast, be mindful of Sargassum and heed local health advisories. (allervie.com)
For example, the July 2018 sargassum bloom stretched from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and weighed about 6.4 million tons, or about the weight of 160,000 semi-trucks, according to scientists at the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Laboratory. (ufl.edu)
On heavy accumulation days, Fort Lauderdale city park crews load more than 70 cubic yards into at least eight dump trucks, writes Ana Zangroniz, Florida Sea Grant Agent for UF/IFAS Extension in Miami-Dade County, in a recent article about sargassum in South Florida. (ufl.edu)
While you can find sargassum seaweed floating anywhere from Western Africa to the shores of the U.S., you'll find large quantities of it in Florida, Mexico (Cancun), Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. (carbonwave.com)
This Spring break, South Florida shores have been covered in heaps of sargassum, or brown, tangled masses of seaweed. (fiu.edu)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are currently monitoring a large Sargassum bloom and are communicating regularly via routine coordination calls to plan and share current status updates, forecasts, impacts, and trends related to Sargassum in Florida waters. (townofhillsborobeach.com)
Sargassum can wash ashore in the Caribbean and Florida. (tampabaynewswire.com)
Is Sargassum Seaweed in Florida and Caribbean Seasonal? (slipmaps.com)
In Florida, the sargassum season also tends to peak during the warmer months, generally from late spring to early fall. (slipmaps.com)
As with the Caribbean, the sargassum presence in Florida can decrease during the winter months, particularly from November to February. (slipmaps.com)

It is sargassum, and it is a type of seaweed. (daufuskieisland.com)

The decomposing Sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide, a gas that can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, particularly in asthmatics and people with COPD. (allervie.com)
In Barbados, 12,000 people were exposed to high levels of hydrogen sulfide after a sargassum bloom washed up on their shores in 2018, LaPointe said. (ufl.edu)
Decomposing sargassum additionally creates noxious hydrogen sulfide gas, causing health impacts in humans. (daufuskieisland.com)

Sargassum is pelagic, meaning it grows floating offshore, and is usually found in warmer latitudes. (carbonwave.com)

Sargassum floating in the Mexican Caribbean sea. (travelmarketreport.com)
August 19th 2015 - Bridgetown, Barbados - As the Caribbean and specifically Barbados battles the Sargassum problem that has plagued them with increasing frequency and magnitude over the past three years, Atlantis Submarines Barbados has so far escaped the onslaught. (barbados.org)
The CAST Sargassum Resource Guide for the Caribbean seeks to provide facts and direction to all concerned on dealing with this matter and can be found at this link http://bit.ly/CASTSargassum . (barbados.org)
However, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB) that emerged in 2011 has since then caused unprecedented inundations of this brown seaweed on Caribbean coastlines, with harmful effects on ecosystems while posing challenges to regional economies and tourism, and concerns for respiratory and other human health issues. (whoi.edu)
Now fishers like Barrios sometimes struggle to avoid sargassum, as populations of the algae in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea have exploded in recent years. (ufl.edu)
Since 2011, sargassum rafts of unprecedented size have had been found on Caribbean shores, with a strong impact on tourism, fisheries and wildlife. (esa.int)
Within the Sargassum project , a pre-operational service chain has been developed and tested in the Caribbean Seas area to provide concentration indicators and drift trajectories forecast to a number of users from Belize to Trinidad, ranging from touristic organizations to coast guard to environmental research entities. (esa.int)
The central aim of CERMES' ongoing ' SargAdapt Project ' (full title: Adapting to a new reality: Managing responses to influxes of sargassum seaweed in the Eastern Caribbean as ecosystem hazards and opportunities) funded by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund through their EbA Facility, is to reduce the impacts of and improve adaptation to sargassum influxes in Barbados and Eastern Caribbean. (sargassumhub.org)
In February 2022, Barbados became one of five beneficiaries of sargassum removal equipment valued at US$2 million, from the Government of Japan by way of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - under "The Project for Improving National Sargassum Management Capacities in the Caribbean. (sargassumhub.org)
The training supports the effective implementation of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade-funded project entitled, Developing Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean, due to commence in April 2021. (caricom.org)
In addition to the target countries, other CRFM Member States will benefit either directly or indirectly from the project, which aims to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains. (caricom.org)
Since 2011, periodic influxes of massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed have been entering Caribbean waters, resulting in substantial economic losses and adverse impacts on human and environmental health. (caricom.org)
In September 2020, the CRFM entered into a three-year collaborative agreement with Plant & Food Research, to address Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries. (caricom.org)
Similar to many Caribbean nations grappling with the challenges of massive sargassum influxes, the French public authorities have implemented measures within the constraints of available resources. (sargassumhub.org)
However, the quantity of Sargassum that has arrived through the Great Caribbean region since 2014 is unprecedented, as well as the consequences. (theoceancleaner.fr)
However, the Sargassum we have found in the Caribbean since 2014 has not been proved to come from that place. (theoceancleaner.fr)
In recent years, we experienced an unprecedented arrival of Sargassum, this phenomenon reached the entire Caribbean region, the coast of Central and South America and even Africa. (theoceancleaner.fr)
In the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the sargassum season typically aligns with the warmer months, particularly from spring to summer and sometimes extending into early autumn. (slipmaps.com)
In the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the sargassum season typically peaks from spring to summer, starting around April or May and extending through August or September. (slipmaps.com)
Sargassum has already heavily affected the whole of the Mexican Caribbean and Riviera Maya this year, but as summer rolls in so too does the high season for sargassum. (thecancunsun.com)
This group publishes a regular sargassum update with an easy-to-understand traffic light system covering every single destination in the Mexican Caribbean and Riviera Maya. (thecancunsun.com)

But for those visitors-and locals-willing to take a closer look, the brown algae known as sargassum is one of the most fascinating organisms in the sea. (ufl.edu)
The sargassum fish ( Histrio histrio ) is in the toadfish family, a group of slow-moving reef fish that pick their way through coral and algae by using their pectoral fins like hands. (ufl.edu)
In general, most of the larger, familiar seaweeds like sargassum are brown algae. (ufl.edu)

Improved forecasting using satellite data and modeling will help researchers reduce sargassum impacts on coastal communities. (tampabaynewswire.com)
To effectively manage the impacts of sargassum, monitoring systems and early warning mechanisms are employed to track its movement and provide timely information to coastal communities, tourism sectors, and relevant authorities. (slipmaps.com)

Ultimately, it is to see sargassum influxes beyond the perception of only a climate-linked hazard, and as an opportunity for socio-economic development. (sargassumhub.org)
However, for over a decade, these islands have been grappling with the recurrent issue of sargassum influxes, resulting in a range of health, economic, and environmental challenges. (sargassumhub.org)
This committee works on several fronts, including monitoring sargassum influxes, investing in cleanup efforts, and participating in research and prevention initiatives. (sargassumhub.org)
We want to know what happens to those areas that are subject to huge influxes of sargassum," Barnes said. (tampabaynewswire.com)
And we realise that there may be additional heavy influxes of sargassum in the future - and that there are no guarantees that we can expect a seaweed-free vacation. (cnslocallife.com)

For example, in 2019, the Mexican Government predicted that the invasion of sargassum could negatively affect tourism by up to 30% , costing the hospitality industry millions of dollars. (carbonwave.com)
Following an international conference on sargassum held in Guadeloupe in October 2019, the Regional Council of Guadeloupe designed a regional project called Sarg'Coop. (sargassumhub.org)
For example, in 2019, St Barts hosted a conference on sargassum, which resulted in the creation of the Sargasse Project, which seeks to transform sargassum into a valuable resource. (sargassumhub.org)

While issues of local infrastructure don't normally factor too highly into a traveler's vacation planning, the issue of sargassum has become a huge thorn in the side of both the tourism industry and tourists. (thecancunsun.com)

For instance the mechanised beach rake to clear low to medium volumes of sargassum and cane loaders to pick up large quantities of sargassum. (sargassumhub.org)

Yes, the presence of sargassum seaweed can exhibit seasonal patterns in certain regions. (slipmaps.com)

We've spent over $4.2 million on sargassum cleanup in 2022 alone. (businesswire.com)
This study 'environmental impact assessment method for coast using fertilized eggs of Sargassum horneri' was carried out in four years from April 2018 to March 2022. (nii.ac.jp)
It's hard to know for certain - but it was reported that in June of 2022, there was over 24 million tons of sargassum in the Atlantic ocean alone (up from 18.8 million tons in May of the same year). (carbonwave.com)
Recently in 2022, another sargassum seaweed plan was announced by the French government. (sargassumhub.org)
As part of these efforts, the government invested nearly 1.6 million euros to remove approximately 12,000 tons of sargassum from its shores in 2022. (sargassumhub.org)

Furthermore, by comparing with susceptibility data of other seaweeds, it was clarified that fertilized eggs of Sargassum horneri are particularly sensitive to copper and that chronic growth inhibition by copper is likely to occur. (nii.ac.jp)
Sodium alginate is a food additive made from the cell walls of brown seaweeds like sargassum, although it can also be made from other brown seaweeds, also known as kelp. (com.vn)
We have always seen Sargassum and other seaweeds and plants which presence is normal in the marine and coastal environment. (theoceancleaner.fr)

In addition, the paper notes that the presence of arsenic in Sargassum tissue - which reflects phosphorus limitation - significantly constrains the utilization of the seaweed biomass that washes ashore. (whoi.edu)
Plans to remove or exploit this material when it washes ashore should consider the potential for Sargassum to contain high concentrations of arsenic, so we encourage affected communities to proceed with caution when exploring options to deal with seasonal inundations of Sargassum . (whoi.edu)
Sargassum washed ashore after a storm on Pensacola Beach. (ufl.edu)
If washed ashore, many of the animals abandon the sargassum or risk drying out and dying. (ufl.edu)
The abundance of sargassum has generally increased every year since, wreaking havoc on tourism industries and local economies when it washes ashore. (tampabaynewswire.com)
Once ashore, sargassum provides vital nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus to coastal ecosystems. (daufuskieisland.com)

What months are best to avoid sargassum seaweed? (slipmaps.com)

Knowing how it will drift would help reduce the negative effect of heavy sargassum rafts on local economies and prepare and support timely collection operations. (esa.int)

These endemic organisms have specialized patterns and colorations that mimic the Sargassum and allow them to be impressively camouflaged in their environment. (wikipedia.org)
These creatures' patterns and colorations mimic the sargassum. (daufuskieisland.com)

A Draft Sargassum Adaptive Management Strategy ( SAMS ) for Barbados (2021) was developed under a planning grant partnership between the then Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy (MMABE), UWI-CERMES and GEF Small Grants Programme UNDP. (sargassumhub.org)

Other marine organisms, such as young sea turtles, will use the Sargassum as shelter and a resource for food until they reach a size at which they can survive elsewhere. (wikipedia.org)
For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio , which then results in a leaky gut and diarrhea, it's going to release waste nutrients such nitrogen and phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms. (news-medical.net)
If a fish consumes plastic contaminated with Vibrio bacteria, the toxins can damage the intestines, leading to a leaky gut, which releases nutrients stimulating the growth of more Sargassum and other organisms. (allervie.com)
Several of these organisms are adapted specifically to life within the sargassum, reaching full growth at miniature sizes and camouflaged in shape, pattern, and color to blend in. (ufl.edu)
Sargassum and seagrasses are NOT the same thing, they are totally different kinds of living organisms. (theoceancleaner.fr)

For LaPointe, who has studied sargassum his whole life - and has even looked at ways to grow it as fuel - the challenge is now to bring populations back into balance. (ufl.edu)

Hepatoprotective and toxicological evaluation of tropical Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh collected from Sumbawa coast Indonesia, against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats. (bvsalud.org)

in the Atlantic, termed Sargassum events are becoming more frequent in response to several factors: nutrient enrichment, increased temperature, changes in climatological patterns, but some causes remain unknown. (frontiersin.org)
We show clearly for the first time that Sargassum in the GASB is enhanced in both nitrogen and phosphorus, indicative of a healthy and thriving population," according to the journal article "Nutrient and arsenic biogeochemistry of Sargassum in the western Atlantic," published in Nature Communications . (whoi.edu)
As the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has grown over the last decade, the public has become increasingly aware of this phenomenon and its impact on coastal communities," said co-author Peter Morton , associate research scientist in the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, College Station. (whoi.edu)
The fertilizer travels in the sea and fertilizes Sargassum - a genus of brown seaweed that's causing havoc in the tropical Atlantic. (inverse.com)
Found by Portuguese explorers long ago when they were sailing in the Atlantic ocean, sargassum seaweed was given the name sargaço because it reminded them of a type of grape. (carbonwave.com)
Today, in the U.S., if you spend any time on a beach that's located anywhere between the mid-Atlantic down to the Gulf Coast, you're vacationing and/or living in the area of the country called the great "sargassum belt. (carbonwave.com)

In our assessment the Sargassum invasion is not likely to have a serious effect on the submarine tour. (barbados.org)

Reports are that, as of two weeks ago, 42 full grown and juvenile hawksbill, leatherback and green turtles died as they struggled to make it to and out of Barbados nesting sites, which lay under two to three feet of Sargassum seaweed. (co.tt)

Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. (news-medical.net)
With increased human- Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. (news-medical.net)
A concern is that as the quantity of Sargassum and plastic marine debris rises during the summer months, so does the risk to beachgoers and people living near the shore, particularly those with respiratory problems. (allervie.com)

Our research shows that Sargassum could become enriched in arsenic, depending on the conditions in which it grows. (whoi.edu)
Sargassum also accumulates arsenic, which adds to the difficulties of physically removing it from the shoreline safely. (ufl.edu)
Once on shore, if not properly collected and disposed of, sargassum can release heavy metals like arsenic into the groundwater supply. (carbonwave.com)

The sargassum fish blends incredibly well into its home within sargassum mats. (ufl.edu)
Sea turtle hatchlings will spend their early years feeding and resting within the relative safety of large mid-ocean sargassum mats. (ufl.edu)
Sargassum mats detected with Sentinel-3 OLCI data offshore Haiti. (esa.int)

You used to be able to pull up catches of fish with the sargassum in the 80s: mahi and jacks and crabs, lots of crabs," LaPointe said. (ufl.edu)

Last year, some top Playa del Carmen Beach had to stay closed for sargassum cleanup, including Playa El Recoddo . (travelmarketreport.com)
In addition to the cleanup efforts, St Barts participated in research and prevention initiatives to address the sargassum problem. (sargassumhub.org)

However, for the last few years, Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen have been struggling with Sargassum Seaweed- an issue of paramount importance for travelers visiting the Riviera Maya. (smartxpat.com)
Also, the state government has donated two properties in Tulum that, over the coming weeks, will be used as an official sargassum lanfill site. (riviera-maya-news.com)
Mas Tah said that with these properties, which are located on the Tulum-Coba road near the town of Akumal, transportation costs will be reduced and the capacity for the final disposal of sargassum, increased. (riviera-maya-news.com)
The long-awaited sargassum barriers that were promised for Tulum are finally being installed after a considerable delay. (thecancunsun.com)
Furthermore, travelers will be frustrated to know that while sargassum has been washing up this past month all along the Tulum coast, a specialist sargassum removal ship has remained unused. (thecancunsun.com)
A beach vacation in Tulum isn't a thing of the past, but the threat of sargassum does mean that for some days at least, travelers may need to find alternative things to do. (thecancunsun.com)
Whether travelers decide to spend a sargassum day at a lively beach hut with fresh cocktails and the company of people from all around the world or explore the numerous activities available here, a Tulum vacation is far from ruined because of sargassum. (thecancunsun.com)

In addition to the six-figure investments, selected companies will be shortlisted to participate in a product testing program directly with Miami-Dade County and local institutions beginning next spring, during the onset of the 2024 sargassum seaweed season. (businesswire.com)

Sargassum ( S. natans and S. fluitans ) is a type of brown holopelagic seaweed, that is never attached to the seafloor during its lifetime. (esa.int)

Sargassum (F. Sargassaceae) is an important seaweed excessively distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. (wikipedia.org)

Tourists are bothered by sargassum, and incoming rafts smother sea grasses and coral reefs, while fishermen struggle to get their boats in the water. (esa.int)
The problem is not only how tourists perceive the beach and where we are putting the sargassum after it's collected. (theoceancleaner.fr)

The brown seaweed, Sargassum myriocystum associated with heterotrophic bacterium, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 10407 (JF834075) exhibited broad-spectra of potent antibacterial activities against pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. (org.in)
I used to think that Sargassum affected the tourism industry because visitors have high expectations and find it hard to enjoy the beach full with this brown colored alga. (theoceancleaner.fr)

The small air-filled sacs of sargassum allow it to float on the surface, becoming the basis of a teeming ecosystem. (ufl.edu)
Sargassum seaweed has always been part of the ocean's ecosystem, but unfortunately climate change has caused sargassum levels to rise, further exacerbating the issues we shared above. (carbonwave.com)
Situation and forecast bulletins (frequent information on location, density and drifting trajectories) would support anticipating sargassum arrival in high touristic areas, improve planning and mitigation mobilization and improve research on the seaweed-ecosystem interaction. (esa.int)
Turtle hatchlings spend a great deal of time swimming with the Sargassum as it represents the only protection they can find during their first years in the ocean and Sargassum provides an ecosystem that guarantees food, shade and a home for many. (theoceancleaner.fr)

These very specialized fauna include the sargassum crab , the sargassum shrimp , sargassum flatworm, sargassum nudibranch, sargassum anemone , and the sargassum fish! (ufl.edu)

Ultimately, the goal is to have a centralized system for alerting citizens and monitoring regional health conditions based in Guadeloupe that will anticipate the occurrence of hazards linked to the accumulation of sargassum on shores. (sargassumhub.org)

The months of June, July, and August often experience higher sargassum accumulation. (slipmaps.com)

Honourable Pickering said the department is monitoring and conducting surveillance of the coastline to determine the extent of Sargassum landings and areas of priority and will continue its efforts to clean-up impacted coastal areas. (gov.vg)
Provide long-term seasonal prediction in bulletins tailored to the key users needs To raise awareness on the sargassum season to help the key users to prepare the mitigation in advance for a better management of the sargassum landings and to efficiently plan the sargassum cleaning and gathering efforts. (eomall.eu)

However, sargassum is present everywhere from West Africa to South America and upwards to the U.S. (carbonwave.com)

Particularly, in 2011 scientists started to notice mass amounts of sargassum start to wash up on shore. (carbonwave.com)
On the water, massive amounts of floating sargassum make a barrier from the surface of the water. (daufuskieisland.com)
However, it's important to note that sargassum can still be present during these months, albeit in smaller amounts. (slipmaps.com)

Fisherfolk have been actively involved in developing solutions, using booms and adapting their boats to collect large quantities of sargassum. (sargassumhub.org)
You must have heard of the Sargassum Sea, this place holds large quantities of Sargassum, in normal conditions sargassum stays within the gyre and only occasionally "escapes" the gyre, hence sargassum has been found in the Gulf of Mexico prior to the Sargassum crisis. (theoceancleaner.fr)

Over time the air sacs lose buoyancy and the sargassum sinks, providing an important source of food for bottom-dwelling creatures. (ufl.edu)
If sargassum doesn't end up washing onto shore, eventually sargassum will lose its buoyancy and float down to live on the bottom of the ocean floor. (carbonwave.com)

The National Conservation Commission (NCC) is the primary government agency involved in coordinating sargassum clean-up exercises, and conduct them daily along the south and east coasts - the island's windward coastlines that receive the greatest sargassum exposure. (sargassumhub.org)

The Agency further advises beach operators that should the need arise for the use of heavy equipment such as tractors and front-end loaders to remove Sargassum and other accumulated debris, the operators should seek the Agency's permission before carrying out the activity. (nationwideradiojm.com)

The Deputy Premier further stated that production of fertilizer from collected Sargassum is currently being piloted by the Department of Agriculture. (gov.vg)
Turning sargassum into bioenergy and fertilizer is an idea. (daufuskieisland.com)

This report generally provided recommendations for clean-up and disposal (manual, mechanical, onshore, nearshore, treatment - within three days), forecasting, governance (integrate sargassum into existing risk management plans at multiple authority levels), monitoring, research and reuse (agriculture). (sargassumhub.org)
This grant will help us look at sargassum at a finer spatial scale, and this capability will eventually allow the scientific community to provide real-time monitoring and forecasting. (tampabaynewswire.com)
The new monitoring system will allow researchers to observe smaller, but distinct patches, of sargassum. (tampabaynewswire.com)
The team will also work directly with managers and other impacted groups to ensure that the new sargassum monitoring systems are accurate and advantageous. (tampabaynewswire.com)

Classified as an essential habitat by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sargassum is now becoming a burden to some parts of the ocean and to coastal economies. (ufl.edu)

Organisms3

Health Care1

20235

Effects of Sargassum3

Beaches28

Species21

Influx11

Muticum7

Amount of sargassum4

Blooms11

Inundation4

Currents11

Sargasso Sea5

Macroalgae3

Florida12

Type of seaweed1

Hydrogen sulfide3

Pelagic1

Caribbean21

Algae3

Impacts2

Influxes5

20193

Issue of sargassum1

Volumes of sargassum1

Presence of sargassum1

20225

Seaweeds3

Ashore6

Avoid sargassum1

Heavy sargassum1

Patterns and colorations2

20211

Organisms5

Populations1

Agardh1

Atlantic6

Invasion1

Turtles1

Plastic marine debris3

Arsenic3

Mats3

Crabs1

Cleanup2

Tulum7

20241

Natans1

Sargassaceae1

Tourists2

Brown2

Ecosystem4

Shrimp1

Shores1

Accumulation1

Landings2

West Africa1

Amounts3

Quantities2

Buoyancy2

Coastlines1

Loaders1

Fertilizer2

Monitoring4

Habitat1