The creeping threat of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt

[AlaPlaya]

The Guardian published an article on a few possible ways to solve the sargassum problem. I do agree with their analysis that half of the battle is raising awareness.

The creeping threat of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt

Visible from space, an explosion of harmful seaweed now stretches like a sea monster across the ocean. Could robots save us from it – and store carbon in the process?

www.theguardian.com

 

[windeguy]

Fed by human activity such as intensive soya farming in the Congo, the Amazon and the Mississippi, which dumps nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean, the sargassum explosion is by far the biggest seaweed bloom on the planet

So the solution is to stop the soya farming. What are the chances that will happen?

 

[AlaPlaya]

So the solution is to stop the soya farming. What are the chances that will happen?

It won't. I think we're past the point of being able to stop it entirely, and need to focus on remediating/removing it.

I always thought it would be a good idea to use it as fertilizer, but I didn't realize it had such a heavy metal component. Now I like the idea of using it to make building blocks. I'm interesting in the idea that they can also sink it to the bottom of the ocean. I knew SOS carbon was working on technology to collect it, and are building a processing facility in Punta Cana, but I didn't realize they are planning to sink it to the bottom of the ocean.

Sources: https://phyconomy.net/articles/sos-carbon-caribbean-sargassum/ , https://soscarbon.com/

 

[chico bill]

It won't. I think we're past the point of being able to stop it entirely, and need to focus on remediating/removing it.

I always thought it would be a good idea to use it as fertilizer, but I didn't realize it had such a heavy metal component. Now I like the idea of using it to make building blocks. I'm interesting in the idea that they can also sink it to the bottom of the ocean. I knew SOS carbon was working on technology to collect it, and are building a processing facility in Punta Cana, but I didn't realize they are planning to sink it to the bottom of the ocean.

Sources: https://phyconomy.net/articles/sos-carbon-caribbean-sargassum/ , https://soscarbon.com/

Well those small boats will likely not make much of a dent to the miles of it accumulating.
It seems it is here to stay and certainly ruined by last beach experience in Punt Cana

 

[windeguy]

Well those small boats will likely not make much of a dent to the miles of it accumulating.
It seems it is here to stay and certainly ruined by last beach experience in Punt Cana

Is this currently a problem in Punta Cana?

 

[chico bill]

Is this currently a problem in Punta Cana?

Certain days on the North Coast is comes in as well

 

[CristoRey]

Certain days on the North Coast is comes in as well

I don't remember seeing it when I was living up there.

 

[keepcoming]

Is this currently a problem in Punta Cana?

It is more of a problem in the "summer" months. Around late April/May to Sept/Oct. It seems to be getting worse each year, some resorts getting more than others. My understanding is that the area around Bayahibe does not seem to have issues with this as Punta Cana does.

 

[drstock]

I don't remember seeing it when I was living up there.

It's getting more and more common.

 

[AlaPlaya]

It is more of a problem in the "summer" months. Around late April/May to Sept/Oct. It seems to be getting worse each year, some resorts getting more than others. My understanding is that the area around Bayahibe does not seem to have issues with this as Punta Cana does.

In December 2022, there were still mountains of it along the beach in El Corecito/Los Corales, but further north towards Playa Blanca (which seems to have had a lot of erosion) there was hardly any.

 

[drstock]

Cabarete beach this morning after the clear up. Not much left visible by the time I got there but they had buried a lot.

 

[JD Jones]

Not just here.

Florida has 5000 miles of it:

A 5,000-mile blanket of seaweed that can be seen from space is threatens the beaches of Florida

 

[william webster]

FLA reports that the seaweed mass is growing fast thanks to the run off from US rivers carrying fertilizer

Makes the problem much worse

 

[windeguy]

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1163385168/sargassum-seaweed-florida-mexico-beaches

 

[NanSanPedro]

mmmmmmmmmmmm, salad!

 

[william webster]

Gulf Of Mexico... Cancun

 

[chico bill]

No one dreams of a Caribbean weed vacation.
The vacation party plans will come to an end fast if this scourge isn't reversed.
Hanging out at the pool with umbrella drinks won't suffice, and which couple wants to go for long romantic walks on rotting Sargassum ?

 

[william webster]

The floating mass is larger than ever and hasn't even hit the DR yet....... FLA is on alert ⚠

 

[AlaPlaya]

The floating mass is larger than ever and hasn't even hit the DR yet....... FLA is on alert ⚠

It's even floating around the Leeward Antilles, but thankfully not yet to the volume seen in Mexico and the DR.

 

[william webster]

Yes, it is