Record 33 Million Tons of Sargassum Clogs Caribbean Beaches
UKPulse Health Desk
A record 33 million tons of sargassum, a brown seaweed, has accumulated along Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, causing environmental and potential health concerns.
- A record 33 million tons of sargassum has accumulated on Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines.
- The decomposing seaweed can cause lower oxygen levels and foul-smelling gases.
- Researchers warn that the algae build-up can affect human health and leak arsenic into sand.
A record amount of sargassum, estimated at 33 million tons, has accumulated along the coastlines of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. This brown seaweed, when decomposing on beaches, can lead to lower oxygen levels and emit foul-smelling gases.
Researchers and marine scientists have issued warnings that the build-up of algae starves underwater plant life of sunlight. They also state that it can affect human health and may leak arsenic into the sand.
Why this matters: The significant accumulation of sargassum poses environmental risks to marine ecosystems and potential health concerns for humans.