Large quantities of sargassum are again likely to wash up on the beaches of Mexico's Caribbean coast in 2019, according to an ocean researcher from the National Autonomous University (UNAM). These experimental Sargassum Inundation Reports (SIR) Based on satellite observations and statistics of historical events, in early February 2018 the Optical Oceanography Lab developed the first 1-page Sargassum outlook bulletin for the Caribbean Sea. Miami, FL 33149, USA Is there still a seaweed problem in Punta Cana in 2023? Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. As we've added more nitrogen from fertilizers, sewage, deforestation and other sources to coastal waters, seaweed and other aquatic plants seek more phosphates to balance their nutrients, Lapointe explained. In the past five or six years we tend to see more and more sargassum than five or six years ago, said Hu. Simmons said, When it starts to break down it starts to release hydrogen sulfide and that can be an irritant for people who have asthma or breathing difficulties. Feagin, R. A. and A. M. Williams (2010). Puerto Rico Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! But in mass quantities, it chokes life from canals, clogs boat propellers, and is a killjoy at the beach, piling up several feet deep like a rotting bog emitting hydrogen sulfide as it decomposes. We had moguls of it, said town councilmember Bobbie Lindsay about the sargassum. But not this year. Going to the beach becomes a compromise -- how badly you want to enjoy the sun and surf versus how willing are you to put up with the seaweed. There are studies looking into renewable ways to convert the seaweed into natural fertilizer, but more research is being done to find long-term solutions. Noah's Ark for coral:'Daring' coral rescue as officials attempt to safeguard genetics of Florida reef tract. Bayahibe, a historic fishing village, offers a more authentic and local experience than Punta Cana. The resolution is 30m, which means each pixel . Ive never seen it like this. x}[s"?#!pL8n;%Q%K>o|D+IvDL|}~jO_.jgnybvm&suo7oooyb3fc71dv.3w7;ji}aNuw}N?z>sp'@5Ho\]nyyH{>OqVF>= dw'1@8f@kwg@~+l~os#c%?R+4)/0otWoy6;{6F,y-bno@Yn?jt|+"[| Apart from the Dominican Republic, almost all of the Caribbean countries including Mexico, Barbados, and Belize are affected by this problem. In June 2021 (shown above) they found it in record-high amounts in the Caribbean, central west Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. It is produced thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea, but it washes up on the shores of Caribbean countries due to ocean currents. It is true that several beaches in Punta Cana have seaweed problems. Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort. A screenshot of a typical web interface is presented below. SargassumseaweedhasbeenabigproblemforCaribbeancountriessince 2015. ssI|$n/|$3z(4$'v2e.:X7O:,snxf `90$8sG2 P~ R d~}"Qts4DvbRqqt|myeU8_-&O3qVqym The resolution is 30m, which means each pixel is 30m x 30m, so a windrow of Sargassum must be extremely large in order to be detected. BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) Ahead of a big holiday weekend in ten days, Brevard County beaches are slammed, but not in a good way for tourism. Hu says climate change could be at play as warmer waters could be causing higher algal blooms. A seething tangle of floating trouble is massing for a potential summer assault on Florida beaches as a vast forest of sargassum grows in record amounts in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the study, our waste canturna critical nursery habitat into toxic algae dead zones, "with catastrophic impacts on coastal ecosystems, economies, and human health.". In fact, experts are predicting that the sargassum crisis in 2023 could be as bad as the one in 2022, or even worse. Small amounts of Sargassum coverage lingered in the central Caribbean Sea (CS), while essentially none was observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Worldwide mystery: What are those things the oceans been dumping on Palm Beach? According to the University of South Florida's Outlook of Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, based on offshore conditions in December 2021, the seaweed forecast for 2022 suggested it would be another major Sargassum year. 33756 These mysterious 'devices' keep washing up on Floridas beaches. It grows in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. "During winter months they typically stay rather low. As the days get warmer, the presence of sargassum is expected to increase. For centuries, pelagicSargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources such as fish and invertebrates excretions andocean upwelling. The vectors in the images represent the geostrophic currents. He was part of a team of scientists that discovered the worlds largest sargassum bloom in the Atlantic Ocean, dubbing it the Great Atlantic Sargassum belt. Punta Cana was also affected quite badly in 2022 by the sargassum problem. FRANCE : Le ministre dlgu au Outre-mer Jean-Franois Carenco a annonc la cration, au 15 octobre 2022, de quatre structures pour grer le sujet sargasse aux Antilles. The satellite-based model shows the sargassum currently making its way from the eastern Caribbean to South Florida. According to a recent report from the lab, over 24 million tons of Sargassum were found across the Atlantic in June, compared to 18.8 million tons in May. But 2018 was among the worst in Florida, Lapointe said, adding that this year could rival that year's bloom. . Sargassum may serve as fertilizers for sand dunes and thus protects shoreline stability. Remote Sens., 44, 36193625. A 2019 report on the group's findings pointed to two main culprits for the increase in sargassum higher nutrient levels in runoff from the Amazon River and when an upwelling in the eastern Atlantic brings cooler water and nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. SARGASSUM Sargassum is a type of brown seaweed that is washing up on beaches in Florida. The forecast for the arrival of seaweed ranges from medium intensity to very strong. Our beach could literally be clean at 8 a.m. and three to four hours later a giant mat of sargassum the size of a mall will come in like the blob, like a Stephen King movie, said Tom Mahady, city of Boynton Beach Ocean Rescue chief. Cozumel SEAWEED Problem (2022): A Detailed Guide!! Inst., 64:6-8. Find the most up-to-date forecast, map, and images of Cancun's seaweed . However, once it reaches the beach, it begins to rot. In fact, the director of Sargasso Monitoring Network stated that efforts to stop the arrival of sargassum have already taken place. Considering published CERMES forecasts issued in January, March and May of 2022 (Sargassum Sub-Regional Outlook Bulletin, Volume 2, Issues 2-4), it is evident that seasonal increases of sargassum fluxes are reliably forecast with both systems, but the CERMES forecast is better suited to prediction of major pulses. But when the weed feeds off too much sewage, it can turn toxic for some wildlife, FAU and other research shows. Playa del Carmen SEAWEED Crisis [2022]: A Detailed Guide!! The reproduction of Sargassum accelerates significantly in the warm summer months and decreases considerably in the winter months. Preliminary analysis of CERMES . Playa del Carmen SEAWEED Crisis [2022]: A Detailed Guide!! Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck? FAU researchers have shown seasonal Sargassum in Florida and elsewhere in the tropical Atlantic have grown worse in recent years because of increasing nitrogen and phosphorus from discharges. Pelagic Sargassum seaweed (Image courtesy of Tracy Villareal) is a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface. It is expected that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries will receive the same amount of sargassum in 2023 as they did in 2022, or even more than in 2022. Bird bonanza:Why four nesting shorebirds had Palm Beach County officials jumping for joy, Happy coral:How coral is thriving in a trashy, polluted port thrashed by cruise ships, Amazing discovery in Palm Beach County:Giant manta ray babies and a study that could save a threatened species, 'We were gobsmacked':Great hammerhead shark nursery discovered in urban area of Florida. According to the Oceanographic Institute, which works in conjunction with the . USF / NASA Alert: Second consecutive monthly doubling of Sargassum ! It literally fills manmade canals, coming right up in front of people's homes and surrounding docks.. Communiqu de Presse tlchargeable (format PDF) en Franais. H his{0l'ViY/I_K[iGDy?nygX*/6GaDMk&*}_\gAbL*95"b-XP|(Ycks. However, looking at the recent history, it is possible that small waves of sargassum may arrive in Punta Cana much earlier than March 2023. In the ocean it serves as an important habitat for many marine animals as it provides food, shade, and shelter (from predators) to fish, shrimp, crabs, and turtles. Oceanography 28(3):810, Sargasso Sea Commission (link: http://www.sargassoseacommission.org/publications-and- news/worldwide-sargassum), The Journey of the Sargassum forum (link: http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/506457/the-journey-of-the-sargassum.html). If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Sargassum is a constant presence in the Atlantic. Seasonal seaweed strikes back: Tons of seaweed washes up on the Space Coast. Considering the historical record-high mass of Sargassum in June, more of the seagrassmay enter the Caribbean Seaand the Gulf of Mexico in the following months, ridingmajor ocean currents, USFbulletin warns. However, from the beginning of March 2023, major waves of sargassum are expected to arrive in Punta Cana. Does Punta Cana still Have a Sargassum Problem in 2023? "It will be getting worse this. The sargassum has a very special color tone, that can differentiate itself from the background water, so even if there is a tiny different we can squeeze the signal out, Hu added. Thats why the seaweed problem is most prevalent in Punta Cana during the warm summer months of March to September, while it is almost non-existent during the cold winter months of November to February. Sargassum decomposition on beaches smells bad, attracts insects, and causes many environmental problems (e.g., smothering turtle nesting sites, sea turtle mortality, fish kills) and economic problems (e.g., diminished tourism). <>/Metadata 168 0 R/ViewerPreferences 169 0 R>> Hardy, R. F. (2014). Bio. Gustavo.Goni@noaa.gov, Chuanmin Hu If youre thinking about visiting Punta Cana in 2023, youre bound to have this question. Further details can be found in the January 2023 bulletin below. The beaches on Key Biscayne are regularly inundated with blankets of sargassum seaweed. Interestingly, the 2020 sargassum season was pretty light and scientists are trying to figure out why. Jamaica Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! Pratices for Determing Volumetruc Data of Fresh Sargassum Wracks, A quantitative investigation of the role Sargassum accumulation plays in inhibiting sand erosion on Galveston Islands West-end Beaches, Investigation of the Impact of Beach Raking on Beach Accretion/Erosion: West End Beaches of Galveston Island, Texas 2007/ 2008, Advanced prediction of the Intra-Americas Sargassum Season through Analysis of the 1 Sargassum Loop System Using Remote Sensing Technology, Development and implementation of Punta Cana is expected to remain relatively sargassum free in the first three months of 2023. Feb 22, 2023 5 min. By the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of South Florida (USF) Status: Jan 24-30, 2023 Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Jupiter divers who freed sharks, destroyed angler's gear avoid harshest penalties. "We do believe that the Congo River is also contributing to the formation of the bloom in the eastern tropical Atlantic.". At present, no one can predict the long-term trend of Sargassum blooms, but it is unlikely that the beaching events of the past 5 years will stop. Bingham Oceanog. Hu said hes been called by real estate investors on where best to buy land along Mexicos Caribbean coastline to avoid sargassum. However, it is important to note that in 2022, small waves of sargassum continued to wash up on Punta Canas beaches until the beginning of December 2022, well after the end of the sargassum season. Lindsay said the decaying seaweed could be smelled several streets away from the beach depending on the wind direction. Sargassum -- your beach vacation nightmare. Images might take a minute to load with slow internet speed. 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway By doing this they can see how much is located in the ocean. For the second consecutive month, Sargassum abundance in the central Atlantic Ocean doubled, again setting a new historical record. Joaquin Trinanes He went on to state that the amount offshore right now is four times what it typically is this time of year. We are Cayman Islands' most trusted news source. Sargassum contains arsenic, which it uptakes from what's naturally in ocean water. Two examples are given below. Pelagic Sargassum community change over a 40-year period: temporal and spatial variability. That year 's bloom 2023 bulletin below $ 3z ( 4 $ 'v2e hes been by. To buy land along Mexicos Caribbean coastline to avoid sargassum once it reaches the beach depending on the surface. On where best to buy land along Mexicos Caribbean coastline to avoid sargassum R/ViewerPreferences 169 0 R > Hardy! 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