JACKSONVILLE, FLA – You’ve seen it washed up on the sand, and chances are, you’ve swum through it in the surf. Sargassum seaweed is no stranger to our coastline.
As we move into the warmer months, this floating algae naturally increases in offshore waters. But despite the eye-catching headlines that pop up every year, Florida is not in line for a seaweed invasion right now. Unlike parts of the Caribbean, where persistent trade winds push massive amounts of Sargassum ashore, our state is shielded by ocean currents that help keep most of it at bay.
Back in March, satellite data from the University of South Florida showed a massive jump in Sargassum levels — the highest ever recorded for that month.
It’s blooming in the central Atlantic and starting to stretch across the Caribbean. But here’s the good news: the Gulf of Mexico remains relatively clear, and most of the seaweed hanging off the East Coast isn’t on a collision course with Florida beaches.
Now, to be clear, there is a record-breaking bloom drifting across the Atlantic this spring. But so far, the bulk of it is steering clear of the Sunshine State. While island nations deal with piles of seaweed on their beaches, Florida’s outlook remains far less dramatic.
Wash-up events are triggered by prolonged onshore wind events that coincide with seaweed patches that can drift into the Florida east coast. ,
But this year, new high-resolution satellite tools developed by USF’s College of Marine Science are making it easier than ever to monitor and forecast these blooms. Their updated system, funded by NOAA, can now detect Sargassum in incredible detail — down to about 50 meters — and pinpoint which beaches may actually see impacts.
That means better forecasts and better cleanup responses — especially in places like the Florida Keys, which typically see more seaweed compared to here in north Florida.
