Heaps of rotting algae can pose a great danger to people, animals and plants, scientists say.
For the most part, seaweeds are harmless and even beneficial – they are a rich source of food for fish, and they are also good at absorbing carbon dioxide. However, there is a genus of brown algae that has been causing serious concern among scientists for more than a decade. This is Sargassum seaweed, also known as “sea grapes”. Usually they are attached to the seabed, but sometimes they break off and end up on the surface of the water. When free-swimming, they form rotting piles that give off a terrible stench. Right now, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is floating in the waters of the Atlantic – an accumulation of algae, the mass of which is estimated at 20 million tons. This pile of rotten plants is visible even from space, and in 2023 it could cause big problems.
What is the Great Atlantic Sargasso Belt?
Scientists have known for a long time that algae of the genus Sargassum are capable of forming large clusters. However, starting around the 2010s, they began to accumulate in especially large groups. The “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt” mentioned above stretches for 8,047 kilometers, from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. Without any exaggeration, this is the largest seaweed bloom in the world – it can be seen even from space. True, to see this accumulation of rotting algae, you need an infrared camera that captures the light reflected by the Sargasso chlorophyll.
Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in July 2018
View of a huge accumulation of algae from space
Водоросли могут быть полезны для здоровья. Например, зеленые водоросли способны обеспечивать мозг кислородом.
Why algae began to grow rapidly
But why, over the course of millions of years, sargassum algae torn from the bottom of the seas did not become so large, and now they suddenly have become? The researchers blame this on factories that pour massive amounts of fertilizer into the Amazon in the spring. In addition to this, do not forget about the consequences of global warming – the planet Earth is becoming a warmer and more humid place, thereby provoking a rapid bloom of algae at the bottom. As it grows larger, the sargassum quickly breaks off the bottom, floats to the surface and begins to rot.
Sargassum seaweed underwater
Scientists also believe that algae can grow more actively due to the periodic rise in the level of rivers in West Africa. When rivers overflow their banks, a huge amount of nutrients enter the large waters. This also provokes the rapid development of algae.
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Algae Danger
In 2023, a huge pile of algae in the waters of the Atlantic worries scientists especially strongly. It has become so big that some parts of it reach the shore and destroy the beaches – it starts to stink of “rotten eggs” so much that both people and animals are afraid to go there. According to Professor Brian LaPointe, what they see on satellite images does not bode well.
Man cleans rotting algae, top view
Usually heaps of sargassum are found on the beaches in May. However, this year, scientists discovered them already in March – for example, algae are already lying on the shores of the Florida island of Key West. In the near future, rotting algae may well reach the beaches of Mexico.
There are so many rotting algae in some places that it’s scary.
Bad-smelling algae not only spoil the appearance of the beaches and scare away locals and tourists. Scientists are most concerned that they can kill corals, degrade water and air quality, and harm wildlife in other ways.
According to Seaweed Generation CEO Patricia Estridge, today she is no longer worried about global warming, but because of algae swarms, which pose a great threat to both people and animals and plants. For reference, Seaweed Generation is committed to trying to reduce carbon emissions with seaweed.
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How to deal with algae
How to deal with heaps of rotting algae is currently not clear to anyone. They fill the shores only once a year, so it’s time for people to get used to their influx just like hurricanes. In some countries, people tried to protect the shores with fishing nets, and also cleared the beaches with rakes and trucks. Unfortunately, despite all the hard work, rotten algae still brings a lot of inconvenience.
How to clean the beaches of stinky algae, no one knows
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Finally, it is worth recalling that some algae can be poisonous – they are called cyanobacteria. To find out exactly what they are dangerous for, how to distinguish them from harmless ones, read our article “Poisonous algae: what are they and why are they dangerous?”.
