Legend has it that the Caribbean Seaweed appears once a year in the form of massive amounts of seaweed from the Sargasso Sea. Although it's nearly cleared up this year, it's still good to understand where this comes from. Hailing from the North Atlantic, the Caribbean Seaweed warms the water and sends low winds to push the Sargassum seaweed into the tropical currents. On occasion, it sends close to 10 million metric tons of Sargassum to the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Along with Mother Nature’s help, the seaweed washes ashore. Scientists, a.k.a. Environmental Super Heroes, are constantly working on new uses and ways to deal with the wrath of the Caribbean Seaweed Monster.
If you visit the Caribbean and enjoy the beaches, you may find that this particular type of seaweed has struck your favorite beach. Luckily, trained Environmental Super Heroes are finding a variety of uses for the Sargassum seaweed and they have been trained to take it off the beaches in a responsible manner. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” or “When the Caribbean Seaweed Monster gives you seaweed, make a multitude of uses” There are many potential uses for seaweed, including: a medium for landfill, help build up dunes and beaches to combat erosion, fertilizer and compost, weed control, and some have incorporated it into their cuisine.
So what should a vacationer expect? Sargassum can have an unpleasant odor if left in the sun for too long, which is just the seaweed decomposing, and this is non-toxic to humans. The Sargassum does not sting, but has pointy pods. When it decomposes on the sand, you may see a layer of black underneath, no worries, it is just Mother Nature doing her job. Removal should be done by a trained professional, aka Environmental Super Heroes.
If you have any beach concerns or would like more information on Sargassum, here is a fact sheet with general information.
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