Seaweed Tsunami: Why Is The Great Atlantic Sargassum Bloom Happening Every Year?

Scientists Discovered the Biggest Seaweed Bloom in the World. Sargassum, a unique brown seaweed, forms massive floating islands in the ocean, creating a phenomenon known as the "Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt". This belt, growing annually since 2011, provides habitat for marine life but also causes problems when it washes ashore, impacting coastal ecosystems and tourism. Factors contributing to these blooms include nutrient input from West Africa and the Amazon River, primarily from agricultural fertilizers. Despite the challenges, Sargassum also presents opportunities, such as carbon sequestration and use as a natural resource in various industries. So, while Sargassum can be a nuisance, it also represents a unique opportunity.

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[CleoHarperReturns]

30 years ago when I was a teen in the Florida Keys, sargassum would wash ashore in great mats every morning, and crews were sent out to rake the stinky mess of the more touristy beaches. This was considered completely normal, and had been for generations before me. It was considered integral to the health of our beaches long term. Later, in the name of tourism, ships would go out off the coast of FL (and probably still do) to chop it up and send it elsewhere before it could even get near the shores. Then all the major beaches were "clean."

Mainstream perspective of the "problem" we're facing is completely skewed. The sargassum isn't the problem -- we are. We want the earth to work correctly? Stop over-consuming, stop creating waste. No more self-absorbed, "I'm overwhelmed" excuses. We've lived for hundreds of thousands of years without plastic and chemicals. We don't need them now.

I'm not saying we should go without what we need on a daily basis but it's time to explore cleaner options. All of Florida should be powering the entire east coast (and Arizona to the west) with passive clean energy right now. We should barely need biofuel let alone fossil fuels. We're way behind. Restaurants throw out more compost material than we could possibly use. In the eighties we had Absopure water delivery instead using 160+ water bottles per year per person (at more than 350+ million people in the US). That HAD to be better for the environment. And so on.

We're disgusted by rats that live in their own filth while creating it tenfold, but we're exactly the same.

Cleaning up the excess sargassum is like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. It's treating the symptom, not the problem.

Sorry for the rant -- I had no idea this pissed me off so much. I'm not even much of an environmentalist because I get so easily overwhelmed myself. It wasn't until hearing this video that I realized how bent our public perspective on the issue actually is.

We are looking at it all wrong.

[LevineLawrence]

Biogas can be easily produced from such rotting seaweed; and the resulting slurry can be q very good fertilizer

[thestevenjaywaymusic]

I think that this could be used as fertilizer rather than chemical. It wouldn’t be difficult. Collect it up, transport it to some fields and let it rot for a few months then dig it into the ground elsewhere.

[dougphillips]

Interesting fact, the Earth is still in an "ice age" as we have ice on both polar caps. When the polar caps disappear, then we are no longer in an ice age. The Earth has cycled thru at least 6 ice ages so far.
We should expect the Earth to heat up, as it has done so at least 6 times before. Thinking we can stop it, is just stupid.

[congozilla]

That sargassum is just about the best garden fertilizer you will ever find in your life. It's brown because it contains a tremendous amount of Nitrogen. And, plants LOVE nitrogen.

[fisherforrest]

What is the ferilizer potential of this bloom of seaweed

[nicktroutt]

Good information. Sargassum is a huge problem here on the south shore of Haiti.

[AskieFox-ib]

I dont care about the beach goers, business and the tourist but im happy that the sargassum is doing good for many people from sucking carbon from athmosphere and help giving safe space to ocean dwellers like turtles fish shrimps. Thats all matters

[MusikCassette]

what heavy metals are in sargassum? I guess led, but what other metals would be found in there ?

[nived]

most of the arsenic exists in the form of non-toxic arsenosugars

[driverjeff]

Polution from rivers in west Africa along with high temp waters

[nived]

Monsanto said it has arsenic, oh well cant use haha.🙉

[armxy]

I had multiple sargassum as the video goes.😅

[anthonybaransky]

The seaweed should be gathered, pressed to remove all water cut and burned for fuel

[chadspinalbosd]

Create a big boat where you can catch it and burn it

[windioktavia]

Hallo..I'm windi oktavia from shandhika widya cinema the keajaiban dunia program Net TV. Want to ask for this account video and permission to play the net TV kejaiaban dunia program, and then we'll include a source/credit title with this account name, thank you

[Kacavida]

There is a potential in the market of development as a free resource of the seaweed plant, open a company and develop an industry in this area, if there is any. It would be smart to buy stock as it can only grow, and (grow, if you know what I mean :))

[whimandaprayer]

Bye bye, beloved sushi. Sigh. Maybe in heaven.

[EddieA]

Tell the vegans to get there forks ready

[Iconoclasher]

Is it edible? Can we turn it into Soylent Red™? 😅