It may be remotely connected to everything including climate change and human activities, but the most plausible theory is that prior to 2011, in the year of 2010, there was a stronger than usual wind and surface ocean current that brought some Sargassum from the Sargasso Sea to the tropic Atlantic, said Hu. The eyesore can also threaten tourism. But in excess, the stuff annoys tourists and those who's livelihoods depend upon them, by fouling the beaches beauty and air. We know that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries faced their worst sargassum season in 2022. In this article, we have given detailed information about current sargassum conditions and sargassum season in Punta Cana in 2023, and the forecast for sargassum in Punta Cana in 2023. But during the turtle nesting season from March 1 through Oct. 31, the cleaners have to stay below the high tide line. By June 6, the leading edge of the massive river of dust reached South America, stretching more than 3,500 miles and coveringmore than 2.2 million square miles, according to theModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASAs Aqua satellite, which acquired a true-color image. Sargassum is a brown marine algae, commonly known as seaweed. The beaches along the Texas coast have experienced Sargassum inundation events annually, and since 2001 beaching events have also occurred on many Caribbean shores in nearly every spring and summer. Belize Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! Gulf of Mexico regions. Images might take a minute to load with slow internet speed. Remote Sens. More:These mysterious 'devices' keep washing up on Floridas beaches. Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at the time released a study that suggestedincreased availability of nitrogen from natural and man-made sources, including sewage, fuels excess Sargassum growth. Pelagic Sargassum seaweed (Image courtesy of Tracy Villareal) is a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface. A University of Miami study released the same year found that smoke from African fires either from those burning wild or burning to clear land has phosphorus in it that could also be feeding the sargassum after it settles out of the atmosphere. The recent stringy mess on Brevard County beaches hearkens back to the widespread Sargassum algae blooms that hit county beaches in 2014, 2015, 2018 and last year. Cozumel SEAWEED Problem (2022): A Detailed Guide!! Reports Tuesday said sargassum is hitting resorts like Playa del Carmen and Tulum further south on the coast, while Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres have largely been spared.. But 2018 was among the worst in Florida, Lapointe said, adding that this year could rival that year's bloom. 15:67-88. University of South Florida scientists said January was the second consecutive month that the amount of seaweed doubled, reaching 8.7 million tons, which is enough to fill about 3,000 Olympic size pools. St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA Mar. The professor is with the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. By the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of South Florida (USF) Status: Jan 24-30, 2023 Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. "I think we're having a pretty bad year this year," Lapointe said. The reproduction of Sargassum accelerates significantly in the warm summer months and decreases considerably in the winter months. Green and golden seaweed tides on the rise, Nature, 504:84-88. Oceanography 28(3):810, Sargasso Sea Commission (link: http://www.sargassoseacommission.org/publications-and- news/worldwide-sargassum), The Journey of the Sargassum forum (link: http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/506457/the-journey-of-the-sargassum.html). It is expected that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries will receive the same amount of sargassum in 2023 as they did in 2022, or even more than in 2022. "A lot of it is river runoff. Especially, the sargassum problem is worst in Punta Cana in the months of July and August. How bad is Sargassum Problem in Punta Cana? Hydrogen sulfide has a very unpleasant odor, like rotten eggs. Anticipating sargassum season. Smetacek, V., and A. Zingone (2013). More:Worldwide mystery: What are those things the oceans been dumping on Palm Beach? x}[s"?#!pL8n;%Q%K>o|D+IvDL|}~jO_.jgnybvm&suo7oooyb3fc71dv.3w7;ji}aNuw}N?z>sp'@5Ho\]nyyH{>OqVF>= dw'1@8f@kwg@~+l~os#c%?R+4)/0otWoy6;{6F,y-bno@Yn?jt|+"[| Sargassum is almost non-existent in Bayahibe. Sargassum decomposition on beaches smells bad, attracts insects, and causes many environmental problems (e.g., smothering turtle nesting sites, sea turtle mortality, fish kills) and economic problems (e.g., diminished tourism). Child rapists in Florida could face death penalty under new bill, Police search for man connected to armed home invasion, dog shooting, Local Weather: The heat holds as windy becomes the weather word Friday, Weather is 95% favorable for a liftoff tonight, but teams are keeping an eye on weather along Dragons ascent corridor, Atlantic Beach city commission passes new law to address homelessness, More whales are dying, marine conservation groups are concerned. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Oct 8 06/10/2022 PRVISIONS POUR LES 4 PROCHAINS JOURS: Le courant de sud-est entrane les radeaux, qui pourront s'chouer principalement sur les ctes sud et est des les de #SaintMartin et de #SaintBarthlemy . Sargassum -- your beach vacation nightmare. But as fertilizers, wastewater and other human sourcehave increased the nitrogen and phosphorus into rivers, the seaweed has been growing out of control over the past decade. This is very rare in history, said USF oceanography professor Chuanmin Hu, about the rapid growth. It is produced thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea, but it washes up on the shores of Caribbean countries due to ocean currents. If you are looking for a sargassum-free beach vacation or to enjoy your vacation with complete peace of mind, Bayahibe town is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit near Punta Cana. Its a well-known fact that the majority of hotels in Punta Cana have live cameras overlooking the beaches. Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, December 2022, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, November 2022, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, September 2022, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, February 2022, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, December 2021, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, November 2021, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, September 2021, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, February 2021, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, December 2020, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, November 2020, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, September 2020, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, February 2020, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, December 2019, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, November 2019, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, September 2019, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, February 2019, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, December 2018, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, November 2018, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, September 2018, Sargassum Outlook Bulletin, February 2018, This site is compatible with Firefox, Chrome and Safari and has been validated as XHTML 1.0 Strict compliant, Images & Page Design Optical Oceanography Laboratory, Pelagic Sargassum seaweed (Image courtesy of Tracy Villareal), HYCOM from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP). The SaWS is meant to provide such a function through producing and sharing customized satellite imagery in near real-time in a user-friendly way. NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory The Dominican Republic is best known for its white sandy beaches with turquoise water. This January already set a record for all previous January months.. Hours: 7a.m. And we sometimes can see these blooms on the trackers in the satellite data stretching from Africa to the Amazon and then up the coast of Florida.. Seasonal seaweed is nothing new as its been creeping up since 2011, but experts have been looking into the cause. ssI|$n/|$3z(4$'v2e.:X7O:,snxf `90$8sG2 P~ R d~}"Qts4DvbRqqt|myeU8_-&O3qVqym 4, 764773. Disclaimer: This is an experimental product and still subject to validation by NOAA/AOML, NOAA/CoastWatch/OceanWatch, and USF. The beaches on Key Biscayne are regularly inundated with blankets of sargassum seaweed. About 70 to 80% of the seaweed is taken away by truck along four miles of . And, as it does every year, it is predicted that sargassum will continue to wash up on the beaches of Punta Cana until the end of sargassum season in September. Small amounts of Sargassum coverage lingered in the central Caribbean Sea (CS), while essentially none was observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Here's 5 Tips to Save Money Despite Inflation, States Move to Crack Down on Nurses With Fake Diplomas From South Florida Schools, From Haiti Through Liberty City to Top Federal Prosecutor in South Florida: the Unlikely Story of Markenzy Lapointe, Teen in Vicious Attack on Florida Teacher's Aide to Be Charged as Adult, Given $1M Bond, Pompano Beach Pastor Accused of Defrauding Church to Support Drug Habit, Opa-locka Cop, Who Is Town Mayor's Brother, Accused of Beating Wife and Kids for Years. Sargassum seaweed has been a major issue for nearly all Caribbean countries since 2015. You can visit this website and see which beaches are currently affected by sargassum seaweed. So things could soon get messier, smellier andeven potentially slightly toxic in the weeks to come as seaweed rots along Space Coast beaches, presenting major snags for surf fishermen and a tangled, smelly mess for other beachgoers. generated by the University of South Florida (USF), the algorithm analyses the AFAI values in When it comes to the sargassum problem, 2022 was the worst year on record for all Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic. Continuous and improved monitoring and. MS Thesis, University of South Florida, 118pp. As per the latest data and satellite images, it is clear that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries will face a huge sargassum crisis in 2023. The purpose of this forecasting system is to predict extremely large windrows, rather than patches or debris of seaweed. A 2019 report on the group's findings pointed to two main culprits for the increase in sargassum higher nutrient levels in runoff from the Amazon River and when an upwelling in the eastern Atlantic brings cooler water and nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. The last time the Florida Keys experienced a heavy sargassum loading year was 2015. Hu said hes been called by real estate investors on where best to buy land along Mexicos Caribbean coastline to avoid sargassum. To facilitate visualization and navigation, the imagery products are divided into different geographic regions, for example Central Atlantic, Eastern Caribbean, Western Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, etc. Source Isla Mujeres SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing higher values. If you like to fish, you may have heard these floating algae mats called the "weed line," and they . Written by Kristen Kusek, Communications Director for USF CMS. and high (red). Sea turtles typically nest above the high tide line so their eggs stay dry. Jamaica Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! Itprovides food for birds, crabs and other wildlife and habitat for hiding. Sargassum removal from Texas beaches during earlier, less severe inundations was estimated at $2.9 million per year and Florida's Miami-Dade County alone estimated recent removal expenses of $45 million per year. Playa del Carmen SEAWEED Crisis [2022]: A Detailed Guide!! Bayahibe, a historic fishing village, offers a more authentic and local experience than Punta Cana. Gulf Caribb. Looking ahead, the doubling of Sargassum quantity from November to December does not bode well for the region, as such increases during this season have historically preceded major blooms in the following years. The authors of this bulletin, as well as USF and NASA, take no responsibility for improper use or interpretation of the bulletin. Puerto Rico Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! This is merely a collection of these cameras to help people see the local conditions of the beaches. The forecast indicates the possibility of a medium to high chance of more Sargassum polluting the beaches. Punta Cana SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! These data are downloaded and processed through a Virtual Antenna System using both standard and customized algorithms. He went on to state that the amount offshore right now is four times what it typically is this time of year. Today we are looking at conditions at Puerto Morelos. An airline also asked for his advice when it was deciding its schedule so as not to load up on flights to sargassum-rich areas during tourist season. Our beach could literally be clean at 8 a.m. and three to four hours later a giant mat of sargassum the size of a mall will come in like the blob, like a Stephen King movie, said Tom Mahady, city of Boynton Beach Ocean Rescue chief. Hu says climate change could be at play as warmer waters could be causing higher algal blooms. Hardy, and E. J. Hochberg (2015), Spectral and spatial requirements of remote measurements of pelagic Sargassum macroalgae, Remote Sens. The SEAS team has also worked with several government entities and private organizations on several different projects in hopes of further understanding the nature of Sargassum seaweed and its movement and migration patterns. So, the best way to ensure a sargassum-free vacation in Punta Cana is to either stay on one of Punta Canas seaweed-free beaches, such as Bayahibe or Macao beach or to do some research and stay in hotels that are successfully tackling this issue. Cabeza de Toro and Cap Cana are the most affected areas in Punta Cana by seaweed. Jim Waymer is an environment reporter atFLORIDA TODAY. In addition, surface currents from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP)) are obtained, updated nightly, and made available via the VAS as a layer within Google Earth. Sargassum has impacted the Caribbean in so many ways. Dierssen, H. M., A. Chlus, and B. Russell (2015). Dcouverte surprenante dans les sargasses au Mexique ! the neighborhood (50 km) of each coastal pixel and, computing the difference between those values Last year was a record-breaker for the total amount of sargassum, with it reaching a peak of 22 million tons in July. Seasonal seaweed strikes back: Tons of seaweed washes up on the Space Coast. 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway These mysterious 'devices' keep washing up on Floridas beaches. Are those things the oceans been dumping on Palm Beach Tons of seaweed washes up on beaches! 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