5,000-Mile-Wide Seaweed Bloom Threatens FL’s Gulf Coast

FLORIDA — A 5,000-mile-wide seaweed bloom is making its way to Florida’s Gulf Coast, threatening to wreak havoc on the state’s beaches by late spring, according to multiple reports. That’s twice the size of the contiguous United States.

Known as the “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt,” the massive bloom, which stretches from the West Africa Coast to the Gulf of Mexico, isn’t new to the Sunshine State, according to NBC News. But this year’s bloom is thought to be the largest in its history.

The bloom is estimated to weigh about 20 million tons and is visible from space, Insider reported.

"It’s incredible," Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, told NBC. "What we’re seeing in the satellite imagery does not bode well for a clean beach year."

The invasive seaweed usually begins to come ashore in South Florida in May, though some Key West beaches are already starting to see signs of the algae, reports said.

In deeper waters, the algae drift offers several benefits to the ecosystem, absorbing carbon dioxide and creating a habitat and food source for marine life, WFLA said.

The bloom is home to more than 100 species, including sea turtles, crustaceans, fish, birds, insects and more, reports said.

Closer to shore is when the giant seaweed bloom causes more problems. As it pushes west, it causes issues for coastal ecosystems.

The algae bloom threatens coral reef systems by blocking sunlight and choking coral. It also interferes with sea turtles nesting on beaches and causes massive fish kills by creating oxygen-dead zones, according to Newsweek.

As it builds up on shore, the seaweed rots, producing a hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like rotten eggs, according to the Florida Department of Health. This can cause respiratory issues for those exposed to the smell, especially people with asthma and other health problems.

"When too much sargassum piles up on the beaches, it can be harmful to the local environment, tourism, and artisanal fisheries, etc., and could also be a public health concern," Mengqiu Wang, a sargassum researcher at the University of South Florida, told Newsweek.