Sargassum is a kind of seaweed, which is a type of algae. Sargassum never touches the seafloor until it dies. The algae tends to float in islandlike chunks and serves as breeding grounds for fish, turtles, birds and other animals.
Where is the seaweed now, and where will it go?
At the end of May, the largest concentration of the 28.9 million metric tons of sargassum was in the Atlantic east of the Leeward Islands, according to the latest sargassum outlook from the University of South Florida. Amounts in the Gulf, Caribbean, and East Atlantic set records for the month of May, while the West Atlantic and total Atlantic numbers were below records.
The USF Optical Oceanography Laboratory began tracking seaweed bloom conditions in 2011.
Sargassum coverage was highest between Puerto Rico and South America, but it was also high locally in various parts of the Atlantic. Beachings, or events where significant sargassum has washed up, have been documented on video in the past week in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and Boca Raton, Florida.
The amount of sargassum will continue to increase, and 2026 is likely to be another major sargassum year, perhaps a record, the scientists say.
As of June 1, the latest Sargassum Inundation Risk was high in southeastern Texas, southern Louisiana, the western Florida Panhandle, South Florida, and most of the islands of the Caribbean.
Ultimately, though, currents and wind patterns will dictate which beaches are inundated with the brown stuff.
In Miami, sargassum removal is an annual event, accounting for $9 million of the $11 million beach maintenance
budget each year.
Is sargassum seaweed dangerous?
The hydrogen sulfide gas it releases when it rots is not only stinky but can irritate people's eyes, nose and throat, Florida Health says. The seaweed can also contain jellyfish or sea lice that can irritate skin.
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