Caribbean resorts may be plagued by a peculiar phenomenon in the upcoming weeks, as 37.5 million metric tons of seaweed was detected during May.
The metrics of seaweed mark the largest detected amount in the Atlantic basin since monitoring began in 2011, according to a new report from the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab.
“As predicted last month, while the spatial distribution patterns of Sargassum remained stable, Sargassum amount in each region increased in May considerably,” researchers stated. “In every (area) but the Gulf of Mexico region, Sargassum amount exceeded its historical record. In particular, total Sargassum amount from all regions combined further increased from 31 (million) tons in April to 37.5 (million) tons in May, making a new record.”
Traces of seaweed have been found on several beaches along the Gulf Coast and in Florida, sparking concern and raising questions among both experts and beach visitors about whether larger blooms will eventually spread across beaches in the southern United States. The large amounts of seaweed can turn many resorts in the Caribbean into a foul smelling locale.
This is not a new occurrence. The Florida Keys typically begin to experience widespread sightings of seaweed in late spring, with more pronounced effects often occurring throughout the Florida peninsula during the summer and fall.
“Although 2025 is a record year in terms of Sargassum amount, whether a beach or small region receives record-high Sargassum inundation depends not only on the offshore Sargassum amount, but also on local factors that are difficult to predict, including winds and ocean currents,” USF staff stated.
While the exact causes of the growing blooms are not known, research is pointing to climate change as one of the causes.
Caribbean Beach Resorts Threatened by Smelly Invader first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jun 4, 2025
