Seaweed Mass Headed Towards Florida’s Coast

By: Caroline Triplett

A large “blob” of seaweed, estimated to be twice the size of the United States, is moving towards Florida. The specific variety of seaweed is called sargassum and this form is known to be important to the aquatic ecosystem. The concern with such a large mass of seaweed moving towards the Florida coast is the impact it will have on tourism. The type of seaweed can be irritating to the skin if it’s close enough in the water. Another drawback is the rotten smell that could disturb Florida residents. News4Jax interviewed Dr. Quinton White, and he explained, “It’s only when, like anything else, comes ashore and gets in massive quantities and starts decomposing. Then, you’re going to start to smell the odor,” he said. People in Florida should not be too concerned as the seaweed blob is said to arrive in the month of July and the only major threat is when the seaweed reaches the beaches.  

More Information:

Giant blob of seaweed on its way to Florida’s beaches (news4jax.com)

A seaweed blob twice the width of the US is heading toward Florida – CW Tampa (cbsnews.com)