by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Mon June 15, 2026
In a year when scientists have predicted record sargassum, beaches in Florida have experienced major beaching events of the brown algae.
Northwest Florida beaches have reported sargassum beaching events, like Perdido Key, according to the local news station, ABC3. A local South Florida CBS station is also reporting record sargassum beaching events in Palm Beach County.
The University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Laboratory publishes monthly sargassum outlooks, using satellites to track the algal blooms that grow in warm, nutrient-dense Caribbean waters and the West Atlantic, and wash ashore from Florida to beyond the Yucatan Peninsula.
The last report found that sargassum blooms in the Gulf of Mexico were at record-high levels for this time of year.
Sargassum season typically begins in spring and ends in October; this year, however, warm waters led to an early start in January, prompting destinations in Mexico to begin preparing for beaching events and offshore collection early.
It's not just a gross detractor for those wanting to enjoy a day at the beach, however: Sargassum, once beached, releases ammonia and hydrogen sulfide as it decays, which can cause health issues if humans are exposed.
Sava Verazo, a local environmental scientist from north Florida, also urged caution about touching beached Sargassum, telling ABC 3 that while Sargassum helps ocean wildlife to spawn and grow, "at the same time, it's a nuisance to humans," Verazo said. "You're talking about warm, moist areas is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. So when you have things, like flesh eating bacteria out there, you don't want to be handling the Sargassum. But I would say if you're going to handle it all, you better use rubber gloves."
U.S. estimates for sargassum mitigation and removal are in the millions, with some years reaching nearly $1 billion across destinations from Florida to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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