Sargassum superblooms are choking coastlines around the Atlantic

A free-floating seaweed called sargassum is exploding in the Atlantic ocean, clogging up coastlines from West Africa to the Caribbean.

An unwelcome visitor is arriving on beaches from West Africa to the Caribbean, and Brazil to Florida. It’s brown, it’s stinky, and it’s more abundant than ever: sargassum. This free-floating seaweed has become a major problem for coastal ecosystems, communities, tourism, and infrastructure. 

So what is fueling the sargassum superbloom? And is there anything to do about it? Flora chats with satellite oceanographer Brian Barnes about sargassum biology, why the blooms are so hard to deal with, and what we could do about it.

Guest:

Dr. Brian Barnes is an oceanographer and associate professor at the University of South Florida. 

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