Sargassum in Atlantic Ocean Concern

[lczopur]

Just heard about the giant Sargassum belt that is making its way past Florida and the Caribbean. We have a trip booked at the end of April (21st - May 1st) to SBH and was wondering if we should be concerned about it passing through at this time. Does anyone know if this will be an issue for the island? Thank you so much in advance for all the help!

[amyb]

Do not know when but this is a world wide issue of concern.

Not good for the oceans, not good for air quality,not a pretty sight.

[Hawke]

Have to cut off the nutrients that enter the Ocean. Much of it happens in Central and South America. A large percentage from industry clear cutting forests. Then the rains come and wash the nitrogen from the soil that erodes into the Ocean. There is a project named Reforest the Tropics that plants fast growing trees that can be harvested in a more stable way.

[le_reve]

Have to cut off the nutrients that enter the Ocean. Much of it happens in Central and South America. A large percentage from industry clear cutting forests. Then the rains come and wash the nitrogen from the soil that erodes into the Ocean. There is a project named Reforest the Tropics that plants fast growing trees that can be harvested in a more stable way.

Warming ocean temperature is also a factor.

[cassidain]

The fish like it

[cassidain]

Does anyone know if this will be an issue for the island? !

Sargassum has been an issue intermittently for the island for some time.
Usually impacting some coastlines of the island but not all. The COM is diligent in their efforts to gather up and haul off the weed though.

[le_reve]

Sargassum has been an issue intermittently for the island for some time.
Usually impacting some coastlines of the island but not all. The COM is diligent in their efforts to gather up and haul off the weed though.

Yes, but this is not a sustainable solution as the sargussum becomes more and more prevalent and more times per year. It is a a depressing and difficult problem to solve.

[Happycamper]

Iczopur, I wouldn't panic yet. First it is too early to know where any of it will land. Threads of it are constantly moving around the Atlantic and where it stops nobody knows. Second, one nice feature of a small island like St Barth is that if the first beach you stop at has seaweed, you can drive to the other side of the island in a few minutes and try there. Because the sargassum rides the currents and winds, it would be unlikely for every beach to have a problem. Typically the north facing and east facing beaches get more seaweed than the west or south facing beaches, but there is a lot of randomness of who gets hit and when.

[Saline Man]

Nice map from 1891.

[cassidain]

Yes, but this is not a sustainable solution as the sargussum becomes more and more prevalent and more times per year. It is a a depressing and difficult problem to solve.

that's as may be, but it is what it is for the moment, n'est-ce pas ?

[cassidain]

Iczopur, I wouldn't panic yet.

I wouldn't panic at all. It will be okay

And, like I said then you said, due to air and water currents the rafts of weed won't beach on all the coastlines at any given time.

[le_reve]

that's as may be, but it is what it is for the moment, n'est-ce pas ?

Of course, everything in the moment "is what it is" - but I'm worried about the future. The growth and changes in Sargassum over the past 10 years is alarming at best. When does it top out? Personne ne sait.

[cassidain]

Here is NOAA's reporting page for following the latest updates on the the locations of the weed in the Gulf and Caribbean.

https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/sarga...dation_report/

[cassidain]

...but I'm worried about the future.

yes, I'm sure you are. different weltanschauung

[lczopur]

Here is NOAA's reporting page for following the latest updates on the the locations of the weed in the Gulf and Caribbean.

https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/sarga...dation_report/

Thank you all for the information! This link was especially helpful! We will still be visiting of course. We can’t stay away from the island for too long

[amyb]

It has not been one Beach every day. It moves and my advice is to hop in the car and pick another beach for that day.

So many beaches, so little time.

[le_reve]

yes, I'm sure you are. different weltanschauung

Worrying about the future is something we should all be concerned about, even a sesquipedalian as yourself.

[cassidain]

Yes, words are wonderful tools for conveying meaning. We undoubtedly worry about different topics, but I’m certain the OP doesn’t need to worry about his or her trip at the end of April. It will be great larks

[le_reve]

Yes, words are wonderful tools for conveying meaning.

Gestures are good, too!

[NancySC]

Saw sargassum just about everywhere, visible flying into SJU, & from our little ship the WS Pride last week tho didn't see any in the BVI. Do as Amy suggested, pick a beach, if you find sargassum, try another beach.

[JEK]

From CNN


A giant blob of seaweed twice the width of the continental United States is headed for the shores of Florida and other coastlines throughout the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to dump smelly and possibly harmful piles across beaches and dampening tourism season.
Sargassum — the specific variety of seaweed — has long formed large blooms in the Atlantic Ocean, and scientists have been tracking massive accumulations since 2011. But this year’s bloom could be the largest ever, collectively spanning more than 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) from the shores of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.
This year’s sargassum bloom began forming early and doubled in size between December and January, said Dr. Brian Lapointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. The mass “was larger in January than it has ever been since this new region of sargassum growth began in 2011,” he told CNN International’s Rosemary Church.


Workers remove sargassum from a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in June.
Orlando Barria/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Traveling west, the blob will push through the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer. The seaweed is expected to show up on beaches in Florida around July, Lapointe said.

[cassidain]

A more precise graphical depiction of the 5,000 mile wide blob can be seen here

[cassidain]

top photo NOAA's previous report and bottom the most recent. not much difference. if you enlarge image you can see shapes of anguilla, saint-martin, and saint-barth in the orange and blue blob under the anguilla label.

[JEK]

[Happycamper]

Cassidain, that is a great link. For fun, here is this year's image compared to last years at this same time.

Last year's end of March:


This year's end of March:

[TR561]

Not sure how Anguilla could be in the medium range, Saba getting hammered, but St Barth has the all clear....