At this early stage of the year, it is the highest amount of sargassum that researchers have observed. Across areas that used to be popular tourist beaches, a large amount of algae known as sargassum is causing the formation of unpleasant brown mats from Montego to Miami. It is difficult to overlook this, but currently, it represents an excessive quantity.
Deciding what to do with the challenging task of removing sargassum altogether can be inspiring for entrepreneurs, as it allows us to learn more and rethink our approach.
Wait, what is sargassum and why is it flourishing?
Sargassum is a kind of floating, rootless seaweed that gathers into clusters and drifts across the sea.
Since 2011, a long 5,000-mile belt of seaweed has been annually circulating between the Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, but for centuries, patches of sargassum have been observed in the Atlantic Ocean.
The density of clusters in the belt that keeps increasing may possibly be due to modern agricultural techniques, which are sending more and more nutrients downstream into the ocean.
In accordance with a bulletin from the University of South Florida’s Oceanography Laboratory, the levels of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea have reached a new record, estimated to be around 13 million tons. This occurred just this past April.
Barnes, a scientist at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, explains that the size of the belt in April could potentially double by July, based on past occurrences. If there is a peak in July or June, it is likely that the blooming season will still be several days away.
It’s difficult to predict what this could mean for the beaches, especially in the eastern Atlantic where persistent clouds are obscuring the satellite views that his team and Barnes rely on.
Impacted most be the likely looking Rico Puerto and Jamaica, Hispaniola of regions southern the with, increasing are beachings sargassum, already but.
Ignoring it can be dangerous — and odorous
Once the seaweed starts decaying, within 24 hours of hitting the shore, it releases a rotten smell and hydrogen sulfide, making it unpleasant and unsightly to swim around or be near.
According to Reuters, over the course of eight months of significant beach accumulation, physicians in Guadeloupe and Martinique islands documented over 11,000 instances of “acute sargassum toxicity” in 2018. There is some indication suggesting that these gases could induce feelings of nausea and headaches or worsen respiratory problems.
However, even the fragrance alone can be expensive.
Take, for example, the city of West Key in Florida. Alyson Crean, the Public Information Officer, says that it is not just any beach town, but rather the largest public beach stretching for about half a mile in length.
As stated in the report, a poor sargassum year may result in approximately 300 job losses, causing a significant impact of $20 million on the $2.4 billion Key West tourism sector. However, a study conducted in 2020 revealed that 10% of tourists would consider either postponing or cancelling their visit to Key West if they were aware of the presence of sargassum.
Removing sargassum can also come with a high price tag
In locations such as Key West, the only available choice for handling sargassum on the shore is to remove it.
Crean asserts that according to stringent environmental regulations, the sargassum cannot be extracted from the water. She claims that implementing barriers to contain it in the water would be a challenging endeavor since obtaining permits sanctioned by the state requires a significant amount of time.
Seagrasses and coral reefs may be suffocated by sargassum, presenting a danger to the nearby fauna. Carbon, the primary catalyst of climate change, can be sequestered by this seaweed in the vast expanse of the ocean. Furthermore, it can serve as an excellent environment for crustaceans, fish, and sea turtles.
On the shoreline, the sargassum is combed by a contracted company using large machinery. Crean mentions that during summer mornings, a group of volunteers stroll along the coastlines to inspect for stranded turtle hatchlings or indications of fresh nests. Key West anticipates the seaweed to be carried onto the shore.
Crean asserts, “In the event that it is required, Key West is ready to withdraw additional financial resources from a reserve cache, and although it has a yearly cost of approximately $1 million to the city, it is a customary procedure.”
Nearby Miami-Dade County is requesting an extra $2 million from the state. Miami-Dade County allocated more than $3.9 million for Sargassum cleanup last year. Similarly, other coastal areas are also doing the same.
What happens to all that sargassum when it’s removed from the beach?
Getting rid of sargassum is just one obstacle; properly disposing of it is a completely different challenge.
National Geographic states that in Mexico, the sargassum is transported inland and left to decompose in the jungle. Crean explains that Key West’s partnering company donates the seaweed to farmers for them to utilize as fertilizer.
However, as the field of sargassum research expands, the cost of processing or decomposing the seaweed may increase.
Researcher Brian Lapointe informed NPR recently that fresh investigations propose that deteriorating sargassum could release heavy metals into its surrounding ecosystem.
One repurposing idea that was previously explored is the use of sargassum, a type of seaweed, as livestock feed. A study conducted in Mexico found that these sargassum samples collected from beaches had arsenic levels that were higher than the limits set by the U.N., With 86% of the samples showing this.
So can we do anything at all?
Certain businesses are still endeavoring to be innovative, conducting experiments with converting sargassum into biofuel, building materials, or even medicinal commodities.
Approach: Submerging sargassum to inhibit its carbon emission, thereby aiding in the battle against climate change, embraces a highly advantageous strategy – achieving two goals with one action.
The Generation Seaweed startup in the U.K. Is developing an autonomous robot that can effectively sink carbon in the ocean to a depth of 1,000 meters and drag them back to the open ocean, which could intercept sargassum patches close to the shore.
CEO Paddy Estridge informed NPR that the sargassum collector can be likened to a seaweed Roomba. The seaweed moves at a leisurely pace in the water and, similar to Pac-Man, collects it. The collected biomass then descends and releases at a depth of approximately 200 meters, causing the air pods to burst and sending the sargassum mass to sink beneath the water’s surface.
The AlgaRay, which is currently in its pilot phases and being funded by venture capitalists, may be fully operational by next year, capable of submerging up to 15 tons of sargassum in one trip.
Until that time, the most suitable choice for a person worried about sargassum may indeed be patience — or avoidance.
Despite being aware that the local authorities are not conducting regular cleaning, Barnes, the researcher responsible for monitoring sargassum using satellite imagery, asserts that it would be unnecessary to, for instance, cancel your upcoming seaside getaway.
He stated, “The impacts are extremely, extremely confined.” “There’s absolutely no seaweed in the adjacent bay, but if you gaze beyond that into one petite bay, you’ll witness an enormous, unimaginable quantity of seaweed.”
Keeping a watchful eye on the creeping blooms near the shore, he suggests that you might be genuinely concerned, possibly taking inspiration from the researchers.