A huge pile of brown seaweed is heading dangerously towards the American coast. It could affect the Caribbean and Florida. When decomposing, these algae give off a very dangerous toxic gas.
A new ecological disaster threatens the American coasts. A mass 8,000 km wide, twice the size of the United States, is getting dangerously close from the Atlantic Ocean, as CNN explains.
These are sargassum, micro brown algae equipped with air balls that serve as their float. They therefore remain on the surface and act as a refuge and food source for marine fauna. But when they wash up on the beaches, trouble begins.
They invade the coasts by hundreds of kilos and begin to decompose. A natural process that releases poisonous gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, that smell like rotting eggs and cause headaches and vomiting.
Sargassum has been developing for several years
The problem posed by sargassum is recent. It is notably due to the fertilizers discharged into the rivers (mainly the Amazon), which then reach the ocean. In addition, rising temperatures and rising sea levels are aggravating this phenomenon.
According to information, sargassum will also wash up on Guadeloupe beaches. The prefect of the region, Xavier Lefort, recalls that a budget of 36 million euros has been allocated to a plan, called “Sargasses II”, which aims to fight against the proliferation of these algae over four years.
This plan involves harvesting the seaweed before it washes up on the beaches. In this way, they can be valued and the beaches are preserved from the tractors that pick them up.
“We are going to try to go very quickly on the establishment of deviant dams” also explained Xavier Lefort. Indeed, according to the regional surveillance bulletin, the amount of Sargassum visible in the Atlantic has increased by 204% compared to last year.
