Scientists at the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab have reported that the expected massive seaweed bloom in Florida earlier this year has significantly decreased in size. According to a report for October, there was an estimated .15 million metric tons of sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean Sea throughout the month, and much of it had dissipated by the end of October. There was also very little sargassum overall in the Gulf of Mexico, and nearly half of the sargassum in the Central Atlantic was situated west of the African coast.
Researchers noted that these abundances are much smaller compared to recent years, even for this time of year. They indicated that minimal sargassum will be present in all regions in November. Furthermore, if there is going to be a new sargassum bloom for 2024, the first indications will appear in December.
Earlier this year, concerns about the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt caused by scientists worried about its potential impact on Florida beaches. However, according to a recent report from USF’s website, scientists are closely monitoring
