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️Tue Oct 01 2024

Researchers at NOAA’s AOML and NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data, Information Service (NESDIS), and the University of South Florida developed the experimental Sargassum Inundation Report (SIR) to provide an overview of the extent of Sargassum in the ocean and the risk of Sargassum washing into coastal waters, beaches, and shorelines in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and southeast Florida regions.

Research conducted at AOML in partnership with the University of Miami, the University of South Florida, and LGL Ecological Research (TX) is also aiding to identify how Sargassum extends across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and tropical Atlantic, by assessing the role of ocean currents, winds, and waves in their motion. This work includes field experiments conducted to monitor the actual path of Sargassum using satellite tracking devices and surface drifters and satellite imagery, and physical representation of Sargassum in theoretical and numerical simulations. Please refer to the end of this document for a list of scientific manuscripts derived from this research.

Additionally, a collaboration between researchers with AOML and Fearless Fund studies how seaweed, including Sargassum, naturally removes carbon dioxide from ocean waters and sequesters it in the seaweed. This project seeks to provide a management solution to wide-scale inundation of beaches, while also repurposing the Sargassum.

As part of NOAA’s RESTORE Science Program, NOAA Fisheries, University of Southern Mississippi, and University of South Florida are evaluating Sargassum‘s role as fish nursery habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This project seeks to understand the relationship with Sargassum distribution and abundance and its capacity to serve as juvenile fish nurseries for recreationally and commercially important species. Results will be used to develop a forecast that can inform fisheries managers of changes in Sargassum and fish recruitment.

Scientists from the University of Rhode Island and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute are examining the societal impacts of Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean as part of a study funded by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. The three-year long project assesses economic impacts, human well-being, and individual behaviors and perceptions associated with bloom events, as well as extensive engagement with community members and relevant stakeholders. Results from this study will aid local and regional coastal managers in managing Sargassum bloom and mitigation activities.

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is initiating a new study to detect and analyze chemical contaminants in Sargassum mats from Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Florida. Scientists will be looking for concentrations of trace metals, organic, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – many of which are highly persistent – in the samples. This research will provide managers with essential information to safely manage, dispose, repurpose or recycle Sargassum at local jurisdictions.