Ever-expanding
sargassum seaweed blooms (also known as brown tides) are inflicting significant
economic damage on U.S. coastal communities, according to The
Independent's report on new research released this week.
Scientists from
the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Rhode Island
(URI) report that recurring seaweed inundation events are now costing U.S. destinations
— particularly in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)
millions of dollars annually, and in some years potentially up to $1 billion.
Researchers combined
economic modeling, satellite imagery, NOAA data and other sargassum monitoring
reports with hotel cancellation records, visitor spending trends and estimates
of reduced fishing activity to measure the financial impact of the algae blooms.
The blooms
originate in the Atlantic Ocean within what scientists call the “Great Atlantic
Sargassum Belt,” a roughly 5,000-mile-long stretch of floating seaweed that
extends toward the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and U.S. East Coast. While
sargassum provides a habitat for marine life offshore, it becomes a major
problem once it reaches land.
“While the
ecological and public health impacts of sargassum inundation events have been
widely documented,” said Tracey Dalton, a professor of marine affairs at URI,
“their direct and indirect economic costs to governments, coastal communities
and private industries had not previously been quantified.”
The findings
suggest that sargassum seasons — traditionally concentrated between March and
October — are now starting earlier and lasting longer across the western
Atlantic and Caribbean.
Southeast Florida,
Puerto Rico and the UVI were identified as the areas most vulnerable to severe
shoreline buildup.
Researchers said
existing sargassum forecasting systems are performing well and could help
communities prepare, but they emphasized that more investment is needed.
“These results
highlight the urgency of sustained investment in sargassum monitoring,
forecasting and cleanup infrastructure,” Dalton said. “Without proactive
management, the economic consequences for coastal communities will continue to
escalate.”
Health and
Environmental Risks
Beyond financial
impacts, the study notes ongoing public health and environmental risks. As
sargassum decays on beaches, it releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which can
irritate eyes, nose, and throat and trigger breathing problems in sensitive
individuals.
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency warns that “exposure to hydrogen sulfide
and ammonia, produced during the decay of sargassum, may also cause mild to
serious health effects, including respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological
impacts.”
Researchers also
found that sargassum can carry plastics and leach heavy metals such as arsenic
and cadmium, while also smothering coral reefs and interfering with sea turtle
nesting sites.
There is still
scientific debate over whether climate change is directly accelerating
sargassum growth, but study authors say the phenomenon reflects broader shifts
in Atlantic Ocean conditions.
“As the Atlantic
continues to change, we’re seeing cascading effects that directly connect
offshore ocean processes to coastal economic vulnerability,” said Di Jin, a
senior scientist at WHOI’s Marine Policy Center. “This study links those
large-scale environmental drivers to real-world economic consequences.”
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