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Old 12-04-2018, 16:44   #1
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2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

The sargassum seaweed growth is forecast to be truly grim in 2018 in the central Western Atlantic and Caribbean, expect a lot matting rafts, beaching and H2S odors and corrosion. Expectations are that it will be worse than during 2015 and 2016. Yuck.

Reference to an excellent reference article title and by-line:
Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: Major Seaweed Invasion Underway
By Joan Conover (SSCA) — last modified Apr 05, 2018 09:34 PM
Contributors: Courtesy of Caribbean Compass Magazine

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: Major Seaweed Invasion Underway —
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Old 20-04-2018, 11:02   #2
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

Well, one man's problem is another man's happiness! Sargasso mats are an absolute bonanza for marine life, even if they are inconvenient for boaters and the tourist industry. Waxing and waning of ecosystems is a natural cycle, although I'm sure there are other factors at work (and if there aren't, they will be invoked anyway).

But I often wonder how much such 'catastrophes' are just someone's 15 minutes of fame. News reporters, researchers, government officials, everybody needs something to make them relevant...

Just my 2 cents. Pete
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Old 20-04-2018, 11:13   #3
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

The past few years have been bad in the E Caribbean and this year the worst. Makes it real tough to troll for fish while underway as the line and lures are continually fouled!
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Old 20-04-2018, 12:04   #4
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

So Barboak, you have seen an increase this year. I did not see much on the five windward islands that I visited this January, too early in the season, but in 2015 the volume on the windward coasts of Roatan, Belize and Yucatan was amazing, several feet thick on the unattended beaches and massive rafts in the waters. The resort areas employed a lot of workers to clean and haul away the weeds and accumulated debris to keep the beaches and bays reasonable, but I was told by the locals that they were having great difficulties in locating places to dispose of the foul stuff.

Have you experienced trouble in fouling your engine cooling systems? I have seen the water inlets on boats and ships get clogged and impellers wound up causing engines to rapidly overheat; there being an advantage to having a closed loop radiator cooling system instead of an open loop cooling system.

Anyway, not much anyone can do about this natural phenomena other than deal with the consequences as best as one can. I had a friend sail into a large raft at night and the bulb keel became very entangled, it took hours of hard work to cut their way out after daybreak when they could snorkel and swim in the muck.
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Old 20-04-2018, 12:06   #5
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

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The past few years have been bad in the E Caribbean and this year the worst. Makes it real tough to troll for fish while underway as the line and lures are continually fouled!


It makes a great compost and soil fertiliser. Usually associated with storms. Had any of those over the past few years.
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Old 20-04-2018, 12:23   #6
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

Disposing of the weed by dispersion in agriculture fields is a viable proposition, but this is a volume challenge and labor intensive to prepare as it needs to be collected, rinsed of salt, cleaned of debris, cut, dried, transported and applied.

An analysis done by the Ministry of Agriculture more than three years ago found that sargassum seaweed had a nutrient content about of about one to 1.5 per cent nitrogen, 0.5 to 1.5 per cent phosphorous, and one to two per cent potassium. It was also pointed out in a Government Information Service (GIS) report that that since these nutrient concentrations were so small large amounts of the seaweed would be needed to “experience meaningful results”.

It was also important to note that seaweed has a high salt content, so that if it were applied directly to the soil, the soil’s alkalinity would increase.

“To treat sargassum seaweed for use as a fertiliser, the salt must be leached. Luckily, this seaweed normally surfaces during the rainy season, and the rain is very useful in diluting the salt from the seaweed. After collecting it from the beach, simply spread it out one to two inches thick and allow at least an hour of continuous rainfall for each inch,” the GIS report stated.

“It is also a good idea to chop the seaweed into smaller particles, as this will allow the nutrients to be released even faster. Composting is another option which makes the nutrients more readily available to plants. The seaweed should not be applied directly to plants. Instead, a drain should be dug between two plants and the seaweed placed along the middle,” it added.
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Old 21-04-2018, 03:09   #7
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

In smaller quantities, Sargassum Seaweed has served as a critical habitat and nursery for the likes of sea turtles, eels, shrimp, crabs and tuna in which to hide, feed and spawn.
However, these massive algae blooms can cause fish kills, beach fouling and even coastal dead zones that deplete the water of oxygen. The seaweed is also endangering the very baby turtles it used to protect, as hatched eggs become tangled in the kelp and die. The stench may also attract insects such as sand flies, which may carry diseases.
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Old 21-04-2018, 04:05   #8
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Re: 2018 sargassum seaweed invasion - central West Atlantic and Caribbean

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The past few years have been bad in the E Caribbean and this year the worst. Makes it real tough to troll for fish while underway as the line and lures are continually fouled!
Yup I agree.. We crossed the St. Lucia - St. Vincent channel yesterday. The entire channel was covered in weed. In some areas the mats were multiple boatlenghts wide. Totally sucks for fishing..
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