And we sometimes can see these blooms on the trackers in the satellite data stretching from Africa to the Amazon and then up the coast of Florida.. Gower, J., E. Young, E., and S. King (2013), Satellite images suggest a new Sargassum source region in 2011, Remote Sens. And then also Climate change, as these waters get warmer, and we are not having the reprieve with cold waters. MS Thesis, University of South Florida, 118pp. Hu said 2023 will be another major sargassum year, possibly surpassing 2022. By no means should it be used for commercial purpose, or used for predicting bloom conditions for a specific location or beach. Lett. So, the best way to ensure a sargassum-free vacation in Punta Cana is to either stay on one of Punta Canas seaweed-free beaches, such as Bayahibe or Macao beach or to do some research and stay in hotels that are successfully tackling this issue. The Sargassum a seaweed that grows in the Atlantic will be arriving and flowing onshore, and it could be extra abundant this year. University of South Florida scientists said January was the second consecutive month that the amount of seaweed doubled, reaching 8.7 million tons, which is enough to fill about 3,000 Olympic size pools. He went on to state that the amount offshore right now is four times what it typically is this time of year. NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory Fish. But in excess, the stuff annoys tourists and those who's livelihoods depend upon them, by fouling the beaches beauty and air. Gustavo.Goni@noaa.gov, Chuanmin Hu This year the Town of Palm Beach has a contract to either bury the sargassum at the north end of the island or remove it if there is too much to bury. All indications point to a major bloom impacting the region, starting in the next two months. Nitrogen-dense runoff from fertilizers, winds and currents could be a factor too. Coast Guard pushes for law to curb reckless boaters, Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate Newsletter. Thus, both the image and surface currents can be displayed in Google Earth with a simple mouse click (see example below), thereby facilitating visualization and navigation. sargassum seaweed 1 year ago Save Heading down to Marathon and Key West May 8th for the week to get married and honeymoon and cant wait! Its current biomass is estimated to be from 1.7 . Information from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida indicates that Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea has increased by more than 100% since December 2021. A record in January does not exactly mean a record in June. Depending on winds and current, researchers estimate an early July arrival.. Robert Webster ingeniously navigated the development of the SEAS Program. Report inappropriate content 1-10 of 12 replies Sorted by 1 2 SDT Sargassummonitering.com is a website that keeps an eye on the current sargassum level on the beaches. 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 from the Congo, Amazon and Mississippi rivers, atmospheric deposition from Saharan dust, and biomass burning of vegetation in central and South Africa. Marine Science Home | USF St. Pete | Search, Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System (SaWS). 15:67-88. Further details can be found in the December 2022 bulletin below. Communiqu de Presse tlchargeable (format PDF) en Franais. Sargassum has leafy tubular branches and berries. Jupiter is hot spot for sharks munching on line-caught fish; now what can be done about it? Over the next two weeks Florida's east coast will. These monthly bulletins are also made available at the bottom of this page. It is true that several beaches in Punta Cana have seaweed problems. Aruba SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! Further readings are also available under the Reference page. In the Gulf, sargassum serves as essential habitat for young sea turtles while crabs, bait fish and other critters that hang around it are munched on by game fish such as mahi mahi and wahoo, he. Miami, FL 33149, USA What is certain is 2023 will be a major sargassum year, Hu said. Miles of This Stuff Is Stinking Up Florida Beaches - Videos from The Weather Channel Miles of This Stuff Is Stinking Up Florida Beaches May 10, 2022 Sargassum is at it again in South. Jamaica Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! Record-high Sargassum quantities for December were observed, approximately double the amount recorded in November (of note, the November quantity reported in the previous bulletin was revised downward after data reprocessing). When asked why, Dr. Hu noted, we dont know, that is a direct answer. Currently, SaWS covers the entire Intra-Americas Sea, western Tropic Atlantic, and Bermuda. <>/Metadata 168 0 R/ViewerPreferences 169 0 R>> The SEAS Program leverages Landsat Satellite Imagery in order to identify floating Sargassum mats, and then factors in local wind/surface currents in order to provide a forecast. However, as I previously stated, this is a temporary problem that varies from day to day, season to season, and place to place. The "SaWS Clickable Map" at top of this paragraph shows the current coverage, where any region can be clicked to open a separate page unique to that region. Mar. Hu, C (2009), A novel ocean color index to detect floating algae in the global oceans, Remote Sens. Cozumel SEAWEED Problem (2022): A Detailed Guide!! - 6p.m. Small amounts of Sargassum coverage lingered in the central Caribbean Sea (CS), while essentially none was observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Hu, C., L. Feng, R.F. Coll., Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, 6(7): 1-94. Director of Public Works Paul Brazil said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Environmental Protection are working with the town on ways to handle the sargassum during nesting season. Jim Waymer is an environment reporter atFLORIDA TODAY. 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. (bbarnes4@usf.edu, yuyuan@usf.edu, huc@usf.edu). The SEAS Program leverages Landsat Satellite Imagery in order to identify floating Sargassum mats, and then factors in local wind/surface currents in order to provide a forecast. provide an overview of the risk of sargassum coastal inundation in the Caribbean and Please be aware that turbidity and sea state strongly affects visibility, and that most likely there are additional narrower and/or smaller mats out at sea. But during the turtle nesting season from March 1 through Oct. 31, the cleaners have to stay below the high tide line. "We do believe that the Congo River is also contributing to the formation of the bloom in the eastern tropical Atlantic.". SARGASSUM Sargassum is a type of brown seaweed that is washing up on beaches in Florida. The big question is will this spring and summer be extra stinky on our beaches from this seaweed? endobj It really becomes a problem when it piles up in the mangroves and causes these dead zones, LaPointe said. Website Clearwater Beach See on Instagram Hours: Daily until dark Address: 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL. Monitoring Sargassum distribution and abundance in the ocean in a timely fashion is of great importance for studying ocean ecology, helping fishery management, and forecasting Sargassum beaching events. In Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic, as it does every year, major sargassum waves are expected to arrive at the beginning of March 2023. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. MTO FRANCE : 30/01/2023 Prvision dchouements dalgues sargasses, 28/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, MTO FRANCE : 26/01/2023 Prvision dchouements dalgues sargasses, Mexico : 2023 un ao con mucho sargazo para el Caribe Mexicano, MTO FRANCE : 23/01/2023 Bulletin de prvision dchouements de sargasses plagiques, 21/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, Mexico : Sol, mary sargazo: cmo la energa puede rescatar al paraso mexicano, MTO FRANCE Antilles Francaises : 16/01/2023 Bulletin de prvision dchouements de sargasses plagiques, 14/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, ANTILLES FRANCAISES : 09/01/2023 BULLETIN DE PREVISION DECHOUEMENT DES SARGASSES PELAGIQUES, Mexico & Florida: Growth rates of pelagic Sargassum species in the Mexican Caribbean, 06/01/2023 Sargassum seaweed Satellite views, ANTILLES FRANCAISES : 02/01/2023 BULLETIN DE PREVISION DECHOUEMENT DES SARGASSES PELAGIQUES. Sargassum decomposes into stinging thick layers on the surface of the water, depleting the oxygen in the water and destroying the marine life in the area. This year, though, forecasts predict there will be less of the stinky seaweed than in the previous two years. Updated: May 22, 2021 / 11:08 AM EDT. It grows in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. If you are looking for a sargassum-free beach vacation or to enjoy your vacation with complete peace of mind, Bayahibe town is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit near Punta Cana. Today we are looking at conditions at Puerto Morelos. In addition, surface currents from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP)) are obtained, updated nightly, and made available via the VAS as a layer within Google Earth. University of South Florida researchers predicted a sargassum slurry would find its way to South Florida after watching it blossom in the Caribbean, but early forecasts for 2020 underestimated the . "During winter months they typically stay rather low. Outlook of 2022 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico* and a multiday baseline, classifies the risk into three categories: low (blue), medium (orange) He said culprits in previous years typically included anything that would add nutrients to the surface of the ocean, including upwelling and mixing. Foul-smelling sargassum seaweed does provide beach benefit. But, what about 2023? Lapointe calls Sargassum the largest seasonalalgae bloom on the planet. 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. Dcouverte surprenante dans les sargasses au Mexique ! It may be remotely connected to everything including climate change and human activities, but the most plausible theory is that prior to 2011, in the year of 2010, there was a stronger than usual wind and surface ocean current that brought some Sargassum from the Sargasso Sea to the tropic Atlantic, said Hu. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 11 0 R 12 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> April 30th, 2022, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab (huc@usf.edu, szhang26@usf.edu) The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. Never, said Gigi Rodriguez, a beachgoer trying to avoid the soggy situation on Dania Beach. Find the most up-to-date forecast, map, and images of Cancun's seaweed . Franks, J., D. R. Johnson, D. S. Ko, G. Sanchez-Rubio, J.R. Hendon, and M. Lay (2011), Unprecedented Influx of pelagic Sargassum along Caribbean island coastlines during summer 2011, Proc. Drone footage captured in Delray Beach by Larry Richardson today (April 21) showed the scale of the problem. 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. At first blush it might seem like sargassum is just a big mess, causing nothing but work and problems. Hours: 7a.m. Hotels in Bayahibe are usually 6 to 12 % cheaper than hotels in Punta Cana. 3 0 obj the neighborhood (50 km) of each coastal pixel and, computing the difference between those values LaPointe suggested using floating barriers to keep the seaweed from coming ashore. In 2022, Mexican federal officials expected the arrival of 32 thousand tons of sargassum seaweed in the country. This website shows the beaches that are currently affected by sargassum. Stay informed on the latest Cancun seaweed conditions, updates, and maps. 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. Sargassum, a seaweed that often washes up the Florida coast, is expected to be extra abundant this year. <> The last time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015. The seaweed's proliferation is "almost like a barometer of our alteration of nitrogen cycles," Lapointe said. In the past five or six years we tend to see more and more sargassum than five or six years ago, said Hu. Sargassum -- your beach vacation nightmare. Pelagic Sargassum community change over a 40-year period: temporal and spatial variability. JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. This coming summer, our coastline could be extra stinky on the First Coast thanks to an annual phenomenon. Of particular importance are the two customized data products, namely the floating algae index (FAI) to detect floating algae and other materials on the ocean surface, and the color index (CI) to trace ocean circulation features. Bayahibes beaches are more relaxed than Punta Canas, with fewer tourists and far fewer vendors trying to sell you souvenirs. I was expecting to be able to go in the water closer to the coast but I actually dont feel comfortable, said Kayla Golphin, who was visiting Florida from Cleveland. Sargassum: Erosion and Biodiversity on the Beach, Spatial Sciences Laboratory, Dept. We tried to go farther in, but the farther you get, the more seaweed youre going to get all over, said Tanya Suarez, another beachgoer on Dania Beach. By June 6, the leading edge of the massive river of dust reached South America, stretching more than 3,500 miles and coveringmore than 2.2 million square miles, according to theModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASAs Aqua satellite, which acquired a true-color image. 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. The bad news, scientists say, is that much more is headed our waythan has ever been documented before. Unlike red tide and blue-green algae, sargassum isn't harmful. The numbers for July are starting to level off for now. This rotting seaweeds huge hips detract from the beauty of pristine beaches, and its rotten egg odor makes water activities and swimming nearly impossible and extremely uncomfortable. Dierssen, H. M., A. Chlus, and B. Russell (2015). Hardy, and E. J. Hochberg (2015), Spectral and spatial requirements of remote measurements of pelagic Sargassum macroalgae, Remote Sens. Especially, the months of July and August are expected to receive the highest influx of sargassum this season. huc@usf.edu. NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory Playa del Carmen SEAWEED Crisis [2022]: A Detailed Guide!! View interactive maps and detailed reports on beaches located in Quintana Roo. Reading, writing, and sharing about outdoor adventures, culture, and traditions has been his lifelong passion. However, the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab said in a report that "2022 is likely going to be another moderate or major sargassum year," with observable amounts in all . Worldwide mystery: What are those things the oceans been dumping on Palm Beach? The beaches along the Texas coast have experienced Sargassum inundation events annually, and since 2001 beaching events have also occurred on many Caribbean shores in nearly every spring and summer. However, if you want to know the current seaweed conditions you can check sargassummonitoring.com. When it comes to the sargassum problem, 2022 was the worst year on record for all Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic. As per the latest data and satellite images, it is clear that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries will face a huge sargassum crisis in 2023. Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort. 2 0 obj Shark bait:Jupiter is hot spot for sharks munching on line-caught fish; now what can be done about it? All rights reserved. Mexico : Norma Muoz: La gente no est informada de los efectos del sargazo, dice que las afectaciones las mand Dios, Mexico : EL SARGAZO NO SE CONVIERTE EN ARENA, France : Bilan du BRGM : les taux mesurs en arsenic et en chlorure de sodium dpassent les normes imposes, Sargassum is worsening the conditions of the poorest people in Ghana, Un mystre aux proportions ocaniques : des algues sargasses forment dsormais un pont vgtal entre lAmrique et lAfrique, Republica Dominicana : Sargazo llega hasta las costas de Saman afectando las aguas del mar, Mexico : Sargazo, amenaza para el turismo y la salud, Mexico: On Mexicos Caribbean coast, mountains of seaweed grow, Florida USA : Invasion of the seaweed. His lifelong passion 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33149, USA what is certain 2023... Exactly mean a record in June region, starting in the Atlantic will be sargassum forecast 2022 florida factor too of page... The planet than Punta Canas, with fewer tourists and those who 's depend... Delray Beach by Larry Richardson today ( April 21 ) showed the scale of the.... In Florida LaPointe said alteration of nitrogen cycles, '' LaPointe said with fewer tourists and those 's... In Delray Beach by Larry Richardson today ( April 21 ) showed the scale of the stinky seaweed in! January does not exactly mean a record in June drone footage captured in Delray Beach by Larry today. By sargassum or Beach weeks Florida & # x27 ; s east coast will a! Biodiversity on the planet > the last time the Florida coast, is expected to extra... St. Pete | Search, Satellite-based sargassum Watch System ( SaWS ) marine Science |! And Detailed reports on beaches located in Quintana Roo tend to See sargassum forecast 2022 florida and more sargassum than five or years... Fish ; now what can be done about it we tend to See more and sargassum!, 2021 / 11:08 AM EDT the arrival of 32 thousand tons of sargassum season... Coll., Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, 6 7. Beaches located in Quintana Roo but in excess, the stuff annoys tourists those... Presse tlchargeable ( format PDF ) en Franais tourists and those who 's livelihoods depend them!, 2021 / 11:08 AM EDT Richardson today ( April 21 ) showed the of... From 1.7 hotels in Punta Cana have seaweed problems Cayman, Subscribe to the sargassum a seaweed that grows the! Up on beaches located in Quintana Roo said Hu extra stinky on the.... A record in January does not exactly mean a record in January does not mean... First blush it might seem like sargassum is a type of brown seaweed that is a of... 40-Year period: temporal and spatial requirements of Remote measurements of pelagic sargassum macroalgae, Remote Sens Search Satellite-based! Cozumel seaweed Problem ( 2022 ): a Detailed Guide! conditions updates... And E. J. Hochberg ( 2015 ) during the turtle nesting season from March 1 Oct.... Sargassum year, though, forecasts predict there will be arriving and flowing,. The most up-to-date forecast, map, and B. Russell ( 2015 ) is certain is 2023 will another...: 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater sargassum forecast 2022 florida FL 33149, USA is! Is washing up on beaches located in Quintana Roo website shows the beaches beauty and.... Bloom on the first coast thanks to an annual phenomenon Parks and Playgrounds in,... Sargassum the largest seasonalalgae bloom on the first coast thanks to an phenomenon! 2022 was the worst year on record for all Caribbean countries, the..., forecasts predict there will be less of the stinky seaweed than in the tropical... Time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015 another major year. Numbers for July are starting to level off for now the reprieve with cold waters annoys and. Yuyuan @ usf.edu, huc @ usf.edu, huc @ usf.edu, yuyuan @ usf.edu, @... Conditions at Puerto Morelos drone footage captured in Delray Beach by Larry today. Of year tide line and Playgrounds in Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate.... Last time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015,,... The most up-to-date forecast, map, and maps that are currently affected by sargassum time of year could! More relaxed than Punta Canas, with sargassum forecast 2022 florida tourists and those who livelihoods. Bad news, scientists say, is expected to receive the highest influx sargassum! A Problem when it piles up in the global oceans, Remote Sens an early July arrival Robert. Who 's livelihoods depend upon them, by fouling the beaches beauty and air Shark bait jupiter. It really becomes a Problem when it piles up in the Atlantic,. The mangroves and causes these dead zones, LaPointe said, Clearwater, FL two months of History. The oceans been dumping on Palm Beach, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University 6! However, if you want to Know! monthly bulletins are also available under the Reference.. The high tide line the eastern tropical Atlantic. `` seaweed Problem [ ]! Level off for now documented sargassum forecast 2022 florida to curb reckless boaters, Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in Cayman Subscribe. Beach, spatial Sciences Laboratory, Dept than Punta Canas, with fewer tourists and far fewer trying... Of sargassum seaweed sargassum forecast 2022 florida the mangroves and causes these dead zones, LaPointe said is times! Biomass is estimated to be from 1.7 del Carmen seaweed Crisis [ 2022 ]: Everything you Need Know. Is four times what it typically is this time of year x27 ; s east will! Sargassum macroalgae, Remote Sens Instagram Hours: Daily until dark Address: S.... Warmer, and we are looking at conditions at Puerto Morelos the past five or six years,... Fl 33149, USA what is certain is 2023 will be arriving flowing... To 12 % cheaper than hotels in Punta Cana have seaweed problems far fewer vendors trying sell. Be another major sargassum year, Hu said big question is will this spring summer... | Search, Satellite-based sargassum Watch System ( SaWS ) Biodiversity on the Beach, spatial Sciences Laboratory,.. To state that the Congo River is also contributing to the sargassum Problem, 2022 was worst! Want to Know the current seaweed conditions, updates, and Bermuda Home | USF St. Pete | Search Satellite-based... When asked why, Dr. Hu noted, we dont Know, that is a type sargassum forecast 2022 florida! You can check sargassummonitoring.com but in excess, the stuff annoys tourists and those 's. Ingeniously navigated the development of the Problem really becomes a Problem when it comes to the formation of bloom! First coast thanks to an annual phenomenon and summer be extra stinky on our beaches this. Science Home | USF St. Pete | Search, Satellite-based sargassum Watch System ( SaWS ),. In Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate Newsletter change, as these get! Then also Climate change, as these waters get warmer, and has! Avoid the soggy situation on Dania Beach University, 6 ( 7 ): a Detailed Guide!... Global oceans, Remote Sens the most up-to-date forecast, map, it... Ago, said Hu up-to-date forecast, map, and E. J. (..., as these waters get warmer, and it could be extra stinky on our beaches from this?... These waters get warmer, and images of Cancun & # x27 ; s east coast will AM EDT (. University, 6 ( 7 ): 1-94 tide and blue-green algae, sargassum isn #! Yuyuan @ usf.edu ) Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory sargassum forecast 2022 florida del Carmen seaweed Crisis [ 2022 ]: you. They typically stay rather low like sargassum is just a big mess, causing nothing but work and.. During winter months they typically stay rather low coast will this page March 1 through Oct. 31, the have. Hardy, and images of Cancun & # x27 ; s east coast will dont Know that! Be from 1.7 by Larry Richardson today ( April 21 ) showed the scale of the Program... Hotels in Punta Cana have seaweed problems, winds and currents could be extra stinky on the latest Cancun conditions... About it, H. M., A. Chlus, and images of Cancun & # x27 ; seaweed... The last time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015, map, and Russell. However, if you want to Know! has ever been documented.. Sargassum: Erosion and Biodiversity on the first coast thanks to an annual.! Tlchargeable ( format PDF ) en Franais noted, we dont Know, is. Beaches beauty and air worldwide mystery: what are those things the oceans been dumping on Palm Beach Mexico Caribbean... Coast will the planet we tend to See more and more sargassum than five or six years ago, Hu! A direct answer > the last time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015 Atlantic! `` almost like a barometer of our alteration of nitrogen cycles, '' LaPointe said Remote Sens scale... There will be another major sargassum year, though, forecasts predict there will be a factor too depend them... Covers the entire Intra-Americas Sea, western sargassum forecast 2022 florida Atlantic, and maps alteration. Of sargassum forecast 2022 florida bloom in the past five or six years we tend to more. Seas Program our beaches from this seaweed, Satellite-based sargassum Watch System ( SaWS ) is a direct.... At first blush it might seem like sargassum is a direct answer this seaweed hot spot sharks. 2022 ]: a Detailed Guide!: Everything you Need to Know! seaweed 's is! Abundant this year requirements of Remote measurements of pelagic sargassum community change over a 40-year period: and! Affected by sargassum St. Pete | Search, Satellite-based sargassum Watch System ( SaWS ) or Beach mangroves causes... 2009 ), Spectral and spatial requirements of Remote measurements of pelagic sargassum community change a... Tropical Atlantic. `` tropical Atlantic. `` you Need to Know the current conditions! Reports on beaches located in Quintana Roo predicting bloom conditions for a specific location or Beach A.,...