A massive mass of brown algae is drifting toward the US coast and Gulf of Mexico beaches. A total of around 6.1 million tons were moved algae from the central Atlantic towards the Caribbean, reported marine scientists from the University of South Florida. That is the second largest amount of algae since records began in 2011. The first foothills of the cloud of algae have already washed up on beaches on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, it said.
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The algae carpet stretches over around 8,000 kilometers and is almost twice as wide as the entire USA. Because of its gigantic size, it can even be seen from space. In itself it is harmless and offers protection for fish, crabs and sea turtles.
Algae not new, but spread is increasing
But in the summer months, the massive mass could reach the shores of Florida and other areas in the Gulf of Mexico, the New York Times (“NYT”) reported. The species of algae called sargassum could then begin to rot, releasing toxic fumes and polluting beaches.
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Die algae in themselves are not new. Christopher Columbus described them in the 15th century, scientists wrote in a 2019 study.
Since 2011, however, their spread has increased massively. The algae carpet stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, the scientists wrote. The exact reason for this is still unclear. However, the overgrowth could be related to the input of nitrogen and phosphorus into the oceans from large rivers such as the Amazon, the Congo or the Mississippi, said Brian Lapointe of the Florida Atlantic University der “New York Times”.