Atlantic Current Shift

[avb3]

Here is an intriguing story from an Antigua newspaper, which would suggest there may be a current shifting within the Atlantic that primarily impacts the Saragossa Sea.

Note the comments by Eli Fuller, who runs a number of tourist water enterprises in Antigua.

Has anyone else encountered significant changes from past experiences?

[markpierce]

Well, there still seems to be an unusal amount of water grass floating in waters toward/in San Francisco Bay. S'pose this is due to the heavy snow/rainfall this last winter creating strong ebb currents. It's been a cool summer too (thank you), leastwise for me. Nature always seems to surprise.

[Astrid]

It certainly seems cooler and wetter where I am as well. This far north though, I could use a few more degrees and a few more sunny days.

[David M]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Well, there still seems to be an unusal amount of water grass floating in waters toward/in San Francisco Bay. S'pose this is due to the heavy snow/rainfall this last winter creating strong ebb currents. It's been a cool summer too (thank you), leastwise for me. Nature always seems to surprise.

Most of it is a native specie called eel grass which in shallow areas makes good habitat and is intentionally being planted. There are also some non-native species thriving in the Delta causing this. We found one non-native in a place called Frank's Tract which was unknown to exist there previously.

Get used to more weeds floating around the SF Bay.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by avb3

Here is an intriguing story from an Antigua newspaper, which would suggest there may be a current shifting within the Atlantic that primarily impacts the Saragossa Sea.

I'm sorry, but where does the article mention a current shift?

[avb3]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I'm sorry, but where does the article mention a current shift?

Quoting from the article:

“What has happened over the past few weeks is that because of the sort of tropical systems (that) we have been experiencing, we believe that this might have contributed to (ocean currents) bringing down a lot more than normal,” he said.

and:

The entire Eastern Caribbean and Barbados are said to be seeing similar influx of the plant, and James said that contrary currents have seemingly expanded the Sargasso Sea.

and:

Eli Fuller, owner of a local boat tour company as well as a life-long fisherman in Antiguan waters, says that around May he started noticing an “incredibly strong southwest current,” and he believes that this flow brought the weed into the Eastern Caribbean area.

“This is like nothing we have seen in my lifetime and it seems that there is still more weed floating across,” Fuller noted in the blog he regularly writes about the sea life around the island.

[avb3]

Apparently there is more thoughts that current shifts are happening. Antiguan marine biologist discusses it in this article.

He says, among other things:

“It may just be a symptom of something more serious, maybe a major change or shift in the Atlantic currents that in itself will cause the conditions to change. The repercussions of that is worthwhile knowing,” Mussington said.

Caribbean cruisers, are you noticing any effects?

[Blue Stocking]

An interesting comment in the article is about the hotels removing truckloads.
Bermuda, sitting in the Sargasso Sea, would normally have the dedicated beach raking tractors out by now, for the inundation of the seaweed.
It is however, vary scarce as yet.
Actually, the farmers looked forward to it, it makes excellent Banana plant fertilizer.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

An interesting comment in the article is about the hotels removing truckloads.
Bermuda, sitting in the Sargasso Sea, would normally have the dedicated beach raking tractors out by now, for the inundation of the seaweed.
It is however, vary scarce as yet.
Actually, the farmers looked forward to it, it makes excellent Banana plant fertilizer.

So maybe there is something to a shifting current if Bermuda normally expects to get the seaweed, and isn't, whereas further south they normally get little of it, and are getting a lot.

Eli Fullers comments in the first article still strike me as one that I wouldn't mind having cruisers who have been in the area for years reflect on their experiences.