Reported by Ron Brackett, Writer for Weather.com
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The waters off South Florida, Mexico and in the Caribbean could see record amounts of sargassum seaweed again this year, researchers say.
A bulletin from the University of South Florida said the amount of sargassum in the Central West Atlantic had increased slightly from the record amount recorded in November.
That month, USF researcher Mengqiu Wang found more than double the November average of seaweed as measured between 2011 and 2017, the Palm Beach Post writes.
“That means 2019 could be similar to the situation in 2018 but whether it develops into a massive bloom may depend on environmental conditions such as temperature and nutrient availability,” Wang told the newspaper. “The most immediate impact would be in the Caribbean.”