Seaweed

People are being warned after FAU researchers find that Vibrio bacteria is aggressively sticking to plastic particles in the Sargassum seaweed.

Despite the good news, there has still been a profound increase in sargassum in the Atlantic, and thus Florida’s beaches, compared to the early years of the USF study.

13 million tons of seaweed are bobbing off the coast as this year’s Great Atlantic Sargassum Bloom sets new records.

What is sargassum, and is it harmful to our health? We answer these and other questions about the giant blob of seaweed that's making its way to the U.S. east coast.

Since 2011, a fleet of seaweed patches double the size of the contiguous U.S. has cycled from West Africa to Florida, threatening beaches from Martinique to Miami. This year, it could grow bigger.

Sargassum, a stinky algae, is choking beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean and wreaking havoc on the ecosystem — and tourism. From fertilizer to food, locals are experimenting with new uses for it.