The biggest sargassum seaweed bloom in the world

[masonc]

I've given up fishing while making passage, I just get sargassum every time. The windward beaches stink like large toilets.

[MicHughV]

...I've read that after eons of uncertainty as to where European eels spawn, it was finally discovered that those eels spawn in the Sargasso sea...and make their way to Europe.
I read that other eels also spawn in the Sargasso sea and migrate elsewhere
That's a long trip for an eel..
Why they chose to spawn there is a mystery.
Equally as fascinating, though having nothing to do with the sargasso sea, was the discovery that Monarch butterflies all spawn in some some part of Mexico and then flitter their way 1,000's of miles elsewhere.
Salmon have the unique ability to return from the ocean to their birthing grounds to spawn.
Nature has its own peculiar way of deciding what is best for our planet.
As an east coast Florida dweller, we don't often have to deal with sargasso weed on our beaches.
It usually takes a strong storm ( ie, hurricane ) to push sargasso onto our beaches.
As a 3 time sailor to Bermuda from Florida, I can't say I've ever encountered a lot or sargasso. To be sure I saw it and sailed thru' it, but never in such quantities as to be disturbing.
Finally, another curiosity here in Florida. From time to time, we experience " jelly fish blooms". Nobody seems to know where or how these originate.

This is a topic that intrigues me and hope to maybe learn something here.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

That is a very interesting site. Thanks for posting it.

Here's something else that might be of interest:

Webinar:*Sargassum Watch System warns of incoming seaweed

Presented by:*Chuanmin Hu of the University of South Florida

Date/Time:*Tuesday, August 27,*1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC

Description:*The Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) uses satellite data and numerical models to detect and track pelagic Sargassum in near-real time. Sargassum is a pelagic seaweed that floats on the ocean surface and is abundant in the Intra-Americas Sea, the Atlantic, and along the coast of Europe. In the ocean, it provides an important habitat for many marine animals. On shore, it serves as fertilizer for sand dunes and biomass for food and fuel. Excessive amounts of Sargassum on beaches in populated areas can cause problems, however. Sargassum decomposition on beaches smells bad, attracts insects, smothers turtle nesting sites, and causes fish kills, in addition to diminishing tourism. Annual Sargassum inundation events are currently occurring annually along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts. SaWS monitors Sargassum distribution and abundance in the ocean to aid the study of ocean ecology, help fisheries management, and forecast Sargassum beaching events.

Co-sponsors:*OCTO (OpenChannels, The Skimmer, MPA News) and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe)

Register:*https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_...RjOfqdmI0Ke3AA

[gamayun]

Too much nutrients in the water....hmm, what could possibly be the problem?

NASA Satellites Find Biggest Seaweed Bloom in the World

https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/sci...3be9-162925857

[polaris2.11]

Cannot troll for fish anymore without a weedless spoon. I have been wondering whether, collected dry off beaches, it could be used in our composting head.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Too much nutrients in the water....hmm, what could possibly be the problem?
..snip

Deforestation in West Africa and Amazon..

[Puddleduck]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Too much nutrients in the water....hmm, what could possibly be the problem?

Lots of different sources of nutrients, here’s just one...

500,000 gallons of sewage dumped illegally into the sea by carnival cruise ships, apparently “less than 1% of the total annual sewage created by all of carnivals cruise ships”

https://www.businessinsider.com/carn...19-4?r=US&IR=T

[Falbala60]

Something strange in the Bahamas with sargassum.


We have spent winter in Yucatan for 10 years and knows very will this disaster. This year Yucatan have been hit very strong.


BUT this winter we where sailing in the Bahamas (Abacos to Black Point mid-Exumas). If we were seeing small clusters of sargassum (that were sometimes catch in the fishing lines), we never saw... WE NEVER SAW any accumulation on the beaches either sides of the islands.
I was surprized about that fact, because those clusters are close of the beaches, one time they should land... NO NEVER .


Don't know why !

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Hmmm. I wonder if anything would eat it, either au naturel or processed.

If you can convince Asian herbalist (quack) doctors it will improve the libeto of their poorly equipped clients the stuff will become as endangered as Rhino horn.

[barnakiel]

Yes. There was quite some of it back in 2017/18 when we sailed the passage last.


But that's nothing compared to the amounts back in 50-60'ies - according to our older friend who crossed the pond at that time.


Interestingly, he said he got stuck in sargasso on his way back (to the Azores) while we encountered most on our way fro Africa to the Antilles.


It is beautiful to watch and makes an amazing habitat for all small sea creatures, turtles, birds, etc.


Much better thing than our sea of plastic ....



b.

[Nicholson58]

Does anyone know how to fish through it while under way?

[Stingo]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Does anyone know how to fish through it while under way?

Run parallel to it, about 5 to 10 metres away.

[Captain Bill]

Interesting that the report on the importance of the Sargasso sea was based on data no newer that 2011. I was near Conception Island about 2 years ago and came across a patch of Sargassum about 3 miles long and a couple of hundred yards wide. My wife and I are both marine biologists by training, though I spent much of my career in the pharmaceutical industry, she remained in marine science through retirement. We had not seen such a large patch of sargassum before so we thought it would be interesting to stop and see what interesting creatures we could find, as such a large patch would be ideal habitat for the sargassum animal community. We sampled with fine mesh dip nets all along the patch and even worked our way to the middle. Much to our shock we did not find one non-sessile organism in any of our samples. Even the sessile organisms were only bryozoans and a few anemones. There were no crustaceans, mollusks, or vertebrates at all. In years past even a small clump of sargassum collected in a net yielded many shrimp, a few crabs, an occasional sea slug, and juvenile fish. I have also noticed that my ability to catch Mahi has also declined. This year I didn't catch any, Last year only one. Ten years ago I caught one whenever I wanted one and seldom had to troll for more than a couple of hours to do it. I fear the oceans are in worse trouble than we think.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I fear the oceans are in worse trouble than we think.

Maybe, but maybe it isn't as bad as many like to make it seem. One poster earlier noted that the Sargassum was worse in the fifties and sixties. Perhaps it is a cyclical thing. It is also possible that there was more of something in the area you mentioned and it is local, not global.


Certainly there are a lot of concerns and we need to continue to reduce fertilizers, plastics, and all the other things that don't belong in our waters. I just don't think it is as doom and gloom as many make it out to be.


Even here in New York Harbor, the oysters are returning!

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Does anyone know how to fish through it while under way?

When I was in the Army we would occasionally use C4 and/or hand grenades to catch fish. Strangely, or perhaps not, I suspect the authorities are likely to frown upon that!