In other words, with its seaweed-free beaches, relaxed setting, and world-class all-inclusive resorts, Bayahibe is an excellent alternative to Punta Cana. #sargassum #sargazo #sargasso #sargasses #sargassummonitoring 1 Sargassum Monitoring Sargassummonitering.com is a website that keeps an eye on the current sargassum level on the beaches. Hours: 7a.m. A 2019 report on the group's findings pointed to two main culprits for the increase in sargassum higher nutrient levels in runoff from the Amazon River and when an upwelling in the eastern Atlantic brings cooler water and nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. "I think we're having a pretty bad year this year," Lapointe said. Witherington B., H. Shigetomo, and R. Hardy (2012), Young sea turtles of the pelagic Sargassum-dominated drift community: habitat use, population density, and threats, Mar Ecol Prog Ser 463: 1-22. Anegada changed to Puerto Rico East and northern image added. an A&M Galveston research project dedcated to predicting Sargassum. Bayahibe offers a better snorkeling experience than Punta Cana due to the Caribbeans clear, warm waters and high visibility. In this article, we have given detailed information about current sargassum conditions and sargassum season in Punta Cana in 2023, and the forecast for sargassum in Punta Cana in 2023. Dr. Melinda Simmons is a professor of marine sciences at Jacksonville University. Thus, both the image and surface currents can be displayed in Google Earth with a simple mouse click (see example below), thereby facilitating visualization and navigation. Gulf Caribb. Bayahibe, a beautiful resort town about an hours drive from Punta Cana, offers pristine beaches free of seaweed all year. According to Reportur, the amount of sargassum floating in the Central Atlantic Ocean in November 2022 increased to an astounding 6 million tons by December 2022. Myrtle Beach vs Virginia Beach [2023]: An Honest & In-Depth Comparison to Help You Choose? These data are downloaded and processed through a Virtual Antenna System using both standard and customized algorithms. But in excess, the stuff annoys tourists and those who's livelihoods depend upon them, by fouling the beaches beauty and air. Researchers at the University of South Florida are warning of a massive sargassum bloom this year after satellite imagery detected 4 million metric tons of the seaweed . Filmed on Thursday 21st April 2022 South Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, United States 489874 Hundreds of miles of beaches in South Florida have been covered in tonnes of stinky sargassum seaweed. huc@usf.edu. A further ten thousand is heading in the same direction the next week. Punta can is located on the Atlantic ocean so the water is cooler and rougher. endobj
Lapointe calls Sargassum the largest seasonalalgae bloom on the planet. The forecast for the arrival of seaweed ranges from medium intensity to very strong. A screenshot of a typical web interface is presented below. In fact, the director of Sargasso Monitoring Network stated that efforts to stop the arrival of sargassum have already taken place. By spring 2023, a major bloom may develop in the western central Atlantic and the CS. When this is clicked, a KML file is generated for that image. Some years it's worse than others; 2011 and 2018 were record-setting. classification are 0.001 and 0.003. View interactive maps and detailed reports on beaches located in Quintana Roo. The Caribbean-wide clean-up in 2018 cost $120 million, which does not include decreased revenues from lost tourism. Bayahibe, a historic fishing village, offers a more authentic and local experience than Punta Cana. Sargassum seaweed in Fort Lauderdale is taken by truck to be composted and turned into soil. The SEAS Program is an ongoing research effort from Texas A&M Galveston (TAMUG) that specializes in Sargassum seaweed movement and migration patterns, as well as identifying and understanding potential growth factors behind the blooms. Mar. In June 2021 (shown above) they found it in record-high amounts in the Caribbean, central west Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. COCOA BEACH, Fla. - Beach days never stink until they literally do. Information from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida indicates that Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea has increased by more than 100% since December 2021. . Related: Check here for the local weather forecast. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. In Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic, as it does every year, major sargassum waves are expected to arrive at the beginning of March 2023. stream
Sargassum is almost non-existent in Bayahibe. Palm Beach vs West Palm Beach for Vacation [2023] :An Honest Comparison to Help You Choose! Disclaimer: This is an experimental product and still subject to validation by NOAA/AOML, NOAA/CoastWatch/OceanWatch, and USF. BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) Ahead of a big holiday weekend in ten days, Brevard County beaches are slammed, but not in a good way for tourism. But when the weed feeds off too much sewage, it can turn toxic for some wildlife, FAU and other research shows. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. Over 44 thousand tonnes of sargassum were collected in 2021 alone, with around 30,000 of that being picked up in May alone. (NOAA/AOML), NOAA/CoastWatch/OceanWatch, and USF. Record Sargassum coverage in the Central Atlantic, which doubled from November to December, indicates a major bloom may occur in 2023. This summer's Sargassum already has set a record. - DAVID REID. Last year was a record-breaker for the total amount of sargassum, with it reaching a peak of 22 million tons in July. According to the study, our waste canturna critical nursery habitat into toxic algae dead zones, "with catastrophic impacts on coastal ecosystems, economies, and human health.". Environ., 113, 21182129. Now, let us discuss how you check current Sargassum conditions to ensure that your vacation is sargassum-free: The most effective method of monitoring the current state of beaches in Punta Cana is via live cams. We know that Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries faced their worst sargassum season in 2022. The Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) is designed to use satellite data and numerical models to detect and track pelagic Saragassum in near-real time. Florida Seaweed Problem 2022: Everything You Need to Know! Also, the majority of Punta Cana is protected by seaweed barriers designed to prevent sargassum from reaching the beaches. "The month of June in 2022 had a record high Sargassum amount compared to any previous year," said Chuanmin Hu, a professor with the University of South Florida's Oceanography Lab. Also, the level of Sargassum varies beach by beach, day by day, place by place, and season by season. provide an overview of the risk of sargassum coastal inundation in the Caribbean and
in the Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic. To anyone who is there have you seen any around the keys? He went on to state that the amount offshore right now is four times what it typically is this time of year. This is the collection of Presentations from the Sargassum Symposium.Feel free to download what you wish. Hu, C., L. Feng, R.F. For centuries, pelagicSargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources such as fish and invertebrates excretions andocean upwelling. But, the important point to note is that Punta Cana is much better prepared to tackle this problem in 2023 than it was in 2022. But experts at the . The bulletins started in early February 2018, and they are meant to give an outlook of Sargassum bloom probability in certain regions in the upcoming months, based on bloom conditions in previous months, and previous years. As it rots, it gives off a substance called hydrogen sulfide. Punta Cana Seaweed Forecast 2023The sargassum season in 2023 is expected to be just as bad as the one in 2022. Jamaica Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!! B. Barnes, B. Murch, and P. Carlson (2014), Satellite-based virtual buoy system (VBS) to monitor coastal water quality, Optical Engineering, 53, 051402. doi: 10.1117/1.OE.53.5.051402. This is a record-breaking number, and it indicates that massive waves of sargassum will land on Mexico's Caribbean coastline and other Caribbean countries in 2023. The Dominican Republic is best known for its white sandy beaches with turquoise water. Hydrogen sulfide has a very unpleasant odor, like rotten eggs. Mexico : Norma Muoz: La gente no est informada de los efectos del sargazo, dice que las afectaciones las mand Dios, Mexico : EL SARGAZO NO SE CONVIERTE EN ARENA, France : Bilan du BRGM : les taux mesurs en arsenic et en chlorure de sodium dpassent les normes imposes, Sargassum is worsening the conditions of the poorest people in Ghana, Un mystre aux proportions ocaniques : des algues sargasses forment dsormais un pont vgtal entre lAmrique et lAfrique, Republica Dominicana : Sargazo llega hasta las costas de Saman afectando las aguas del mar, Mexico : Sargazo, amenaza para el turismo y la salud, Mexico: On Mexicos Caribbean coast, mountains of seaweed grow, Florida USA : Invasion of the seaweed. NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory
University of South Florida scientists said January was the second consecutive month that the amount of seaweed doubled, reaching 8.7 million tons, which is enough to fill about 3,000 Olympic size pools. Sargassum is a brown marine algae, commonly known as seaweed. In fact, it's an important fish habitat that provides food and refuge for fish, birds, crabs, shrimp and many other marine organisms. Sargassum: Erosion and Biodiversity on the Beach, Spatial Sciences Laboratory, Dept. TheCaribbean Sea keepsgifting Central Florida's beaches with moundsof mushy, stinkybrown seaweed. Its early in the year I know, but the seaweed is blooming in the Carribean already. The beaches on Key Biscayne are regularly inundated with blankets of sargassum seaweed. Belize Seaweed Problem [2023]: Everything You Need to Know! Apart from the Dominican Republic, almost all of the Caribbean countries including Mexico, Barbados, and Belize are affected by this problem. Our beach could literally be clean at 8 a.m. and three to four hours later a giant mat of sargassum the size of a mall will come in like the blob, like a Stephen King movie, said Tom Mahady, city of Boynton Beach Ocean Rescue chief. Wang, M., and C. Hu (2016). This summer's Sargassum already has set a record. An airline also asked for his advice when it was deciding its schedule so as not to load up on flights to sargassum-rich areas during tourist season. Sargassum peaks in summer, in June in July, there is no exception," explains Hu. . When it comes to the sargassum problem, 2022 was the worst year on record for all Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic. JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. This coming summer, our coastline could be extra stinky on the First Coast thanks to an annual phenomenon. Since 2011, large amounts of Sargassum seaweed appeared in the Caribbean Sea every summer except 2013, creating many environmental, ecological and economic problems in many regions. However, it is important to note that in 2022, small waves of sargassum continued to wash up on Punta Canas beaches until the beginning of December 2022, well after the end of the sargassum season. Visit this Facebook group to check the current sargassum conditions in Punta Cana. A record in January does not exactly mean a record in June. Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Environ., 167, 229-246. doi: doi:10.1016/j.rse.2015.05.022, Huffard, C. L., S. von Thun, A. D. Sherman, K. Sealey, and K. L. Smith Jr. (2014). Large quantities of sargassum are again likely to wash up on the beaches of Mexico's Caribbean coast in 2019, according to an ocean researcher from the National Autonomous University (UNAM). The seaweed's proliferation is "almost like a barometer of our alteration of nitrogen cycles," Lapointe said. The purpose of this forecasting system is to predict extremely large windrows, rather than patches or debris of seaweed. Seasonal seaweed strikes back: Tons of seaweed washes up on the Space Coast. High-value products from macroalgae: the potential uses of the invasive brown seaweed, Sargassum muticum. It is also a marine resource for other uses such as biomass for food, fuel, and as a possible source of pharmaceutical materials. Which is BETTER for Vacation? Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. FAU researchers have shown seasonal Sargassum in Florida and elsewhere in the tropical Atlantic have grown worse in recent years because of increasing nitrogen and phosphorus from discharges. In addition, surface currents from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP)) are obtained, updated nightly, and made available via the VAS as a layer within Google Earth. By no means should it be used for commercial purpose, or used for predicting bloom conditions for a specific location or beach. This is a record-breaking number, and it indicates that massive waves of sargassum will land on the beaches of Punta Cana and other Caribbean countries in 2023. It literally fills manmade canals, coming right up in front of people's homes and surrounding docks.. Sargassum seaweed has been a major issue for nearly all Caribbean countries since 2015. But you cant stop it from raining, you cant stop snow, and you cant stop seaweed.. This page provides links to Sargassum forecast or outlook bulletins (see bottom of this page), which are updated routinely. Shark bait:Jupiter is hot spot for sharks munching on line-caught fish; now what can be done about it? Further readings are also available under the Reference page. In fact, many places in Punta Cana are now protected by seaweed barriers in 2023, and the local hotels also have dedicated staff that works diligently day and night to keep the beaches clean. However, once it reaches the beach, it begins to rot. USF scientists use NASA satellite images to track Sargassum, a brown seaweed. The tools and understanding provided by these efforts can be utilized by future researchers and coastal zone managers for the purposes of education and outreach, enhanced coastal resiliency, and scientific advancement. Coast Guard pushes for law to curb reckless boaters, Childrens Parks and Playgrounds in Cayman, Subscribe to the Cayman Real Estate Newsletter. Gustavo.Goni@noaa.gov, Chuanmin Hu
Based on satellite observations and statistics of historical events, in early February 2018 the Optical Oceanography Lab developed the first 1-page Sargassum outlook bulletin for the Caribbean Sea. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The FAU researchers used unique historical baseline seaweed tissue from the 1980s to compare its chemical makeup to samples collected since 2010. Of course be sure to check our local forecast now and throughout the summer so we can let you know when this seaweed will be setting in. FRANCE : Le ministre dlgu au Outre-mer Jean-Franois Carenco a annonc la cration, au 15 octobre 2022, de quatre structures pour grer le sujet sargasse aux Antilles. Hardy, R. F. (2014). These events can cause significant economic, environmental and public health harm. Or find him on Twitter:@JWayEnviroor on Facebook:www.facebook.com/jim.waymer, Support local journalismand local journalists like me. In fact, experts are predicting that the sargassum crisis in 2023 could be as bad as the one in 2022, or even worse. A year ago, fed by sewage and fertilizers in Brazil and thereabouts, the same seaweed kept coming all summer long. Hu, C (2009), A novel ocean color index to detect floating algae in the global oceans, Remote Sens. Source The purpose of this forecasting system is to predict extremely large windrows, rather than patches or debris of seaweed. Sargassum Seaweed in 2022 and 2023 Sargassum seaweed in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on August 7, 2022 (Credit: Doctry 360) However, it's important to note that even on islands affected by an influx of sargassum algae there are often beaches that are totally clear on the same island. LaPointe suggested using floating barriers to keep the seaweed from coming ashore. Foul-smelling sargassum seaweed does provide beach benefit. The continuation of this project and its' research goals are his legacy. The satellite-based model shows the sargassum currently making its way from the eastern Caribbean to South Florida. 15:67-88. Bayahibe, on the other hand, is located on the Caribbean side, therefore the water is calmer, turquoise, and clear. The Galveston Daily News printed an honorable memorial for Robert after his passing. The Sargassum a seaweed that grows in the Atlantic will be arriving and flowing onshore, and it could be extra abundant this year. Sargassum has leafy tubular branches and berries. Sargassum is a constant presence in the Atlantic. Hotels in Bayahibe are usually 6 to 12 % cheaper than hotels in Punta Cana. A sargassum forecast released this week by the University of South Florida said the amount of sargassum in the Central West Atlantic and Caribbean Sea is higher than previous years, which means . Noah's Ark for coral:'Daring' coral rescue as officials attempt to safeguard genetics of Florida reef tract. (Mark Collins, WJXT) This summer is seeing the most seaweed ever on record in the. SARGASSUM Sargassum is a type of brown seaweed that is washing up on beaches in Florida. Punta Cana is expected to remain relatively sargassum free in the first three months of 2023. Lapointe, B. E., L. E. West, T. T. Sutton, and C. Hu (2014), Ryther revisited: nutrient excretions by fishes enhance productivity of pelagic Sargassum in the western North Atlantic Ocean, J. Exp. Although the seaweed itself cannot harm your health, tiny sea creatures that live in Sargassum can cause And then also Climate change, as these waters get warmer, and we are not having the reprieve with cold waters. What is certain is 2023 will be a major sargassum year, Hu said. Beaches free of seaweed ranges from medium intensity to very strong of.! Apart from the sargassum Symposium.Feel free to download what You wish, commonly known as seaweed bad this! 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