Researchers have managed to shed new light on how to manage the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.
The discovery comes after the team looked at four decades of changes in Pelagic Sargassum.
The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is a huge bloom of sargassum that recurs and stretches across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) to the west coast of Africa.
The belt first appeared in 2011 and has returned every year except 2013.
According to Brian Lapointe, the study lead and a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute:
“Our review takes a deep dive into the changing story of sargassum – how it’s growing, what’s fueling that growth, and why we’re seeing such a dramatic increase in biomass across the North Atlantic. By examining shifts in its nutrient composition – particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon – and how those elements vary over time and space, we’re beginning to understand the larger environmental forces at play…These nutrient-rich waters fueled high biomass events along the Gulf Coast, resulting in mass strandings, costly beach cleanups and even the emergency shutdown of a Florida nuclear power plant in 1991. A major focus of our review is the elemental composition of sargassum tissue and how it has changed over time.”
Lapointe added:
“The expansion of sargassum isn’t just an ecological curiosity – it has real impacts on coastal communities. The massive blooms can clog beaches, affect fisheries and tourism, and pose health risks. Understanding why sargassum is growing so much is crucial for managing these impacts. Our review helps to connect the dots between land-based nutrient pollution, ocean circulation, and the unprecedented expansion of sargassum across an entire ocean basin.”
You can check out a short video about the event below.
