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What’s feeding the 5,000-mile blob of seaweed growing in the Atlantic?

What’s feeding the 5,000-mile blob of seaweed growing in the Atlantic?

Science Weekly vor 3 Jahren

The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, the biggest seaweed bloom on the planet, is already beginning to coat beaches in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean in dangerous, smelly goop. Madeleine Finlay speaks to sargassum expert Prof Brian Lapointe about what’s f

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A giant mass of seaweed is heading towards beaches in Mexico,
Florida and the Caribbean, bringing with it toxic gases and a smell
similar to rotting eggs. Visible from space, the Great Atlantic
Sargassum Belt stretches from the coast of Africa all the way to
the Gulf of Mexico. It is the biggest seaweed bloom on the planet,
and for more than a decade researchers have watched as it has
continued to grow in size. 2023 is predicted to be another record
year. Madeleine Finlay speaks to sargassum expert Prof Brian
Lapointe about why it’s getting bigger, what happens when it washes
up on coastlines, and if anything can be done to deal with it. Help
support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod