An Invasion Of The Giant Sargassum [Facts Not Fiction]

[HARDCORE]

3-12-2023

There are indeed - more things in “Heaven and Earth” than mankind has ever dreamed of!”

But are many of these phenomenon really only the bugaboos of science fiction or are they truly a natural progression within time and science within those little gray cells, that genuinely prove to our race of living beings that: “WE AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET?!”

The latest case in point is “The Gigantic Bloom of Sargassum (a form of seaweed)” that is threatening to eventually choke-off the Atlantic Ocean (maybe), if, that is, it continues to grow and proliferate experientially?

And although this “Atlantic Ocean Algae Growth” has been around, even before “Christopher Columbus” first set forth upon his extremely arduous voyage, away back in the late fifteenth century, the terrors that have flourished within the minds, and imaginations, of mankind have been there (in all of their vivid glory) - ever since our race of creatures first stumbled out of our primordial caves and hovels - all of those many eons ago!

The latest in a seemingly never-ending swarm of revelations, however, has emerged in the form of the discovery that the huge (and ever expanding) “Colossus of Atlantic Sea Algae (Saragossa)” is continuing to grow and to proliferate within “The Atlantic Ocean” - and that this could (some day) even choke-off that waterway – but who can really say with all certainty?

And of course, the chances of this ever coming to pass – are minute indeed! And of course - “WE HUMANS” are already hard at work and attempting to figuring out new ways, to utilize all of that seaweed for the common good, including as fertilizer and even as food supplements- “And So It Is!”

But (and science-fictionally speaking of course), what would ever happen, if someday (far into the distant future), some other form of intelligent life would emerge to challenge our domination upon our miniscule little sliver of existence that we currently call home - or even elsewhere within “The Vastness of This Truly Massive Universe” for that matter!

“It can’t happen” says you? “But What If” - says I?

Hardcore

[Boats]

Giant Seaweed Blob Heading Towards Florida
By: Jess thomson - Firewalls.com - 3-13-23
Re: https://www.newsweek.com/huge-seawee...-algae-1787372

Follow up to HC's report:

A 5,000-mile-wide swarm of seaweed may be slowly creeping across the ocean toward Florida.

The enormous mat of seaweed, measuring twice the size of the contiguous United States (New York City to Los Angeles, California is 2,445 miles), is the result of a huge bloom of Sargassum seaweed. Mexican news outlet The Cancun Sun reports that the Riviera Maya is preparing to receive 3 feet of Sargassum weed build-up in the coming week.

Sargassum is a type of seaweed algae usually found in the 2 million-square-mile Sargasso Sea—so-named for the seaweed—east of the Gulf of Mexico. During the summer, Sargassum usually washes up on beaches along the East Coast of the U.S. and the Caribbean, but occasionally, the seaweed blooms enormously, and a lot more of it makes its way to land.

Photo link: https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/22079...46cf5f47c02b1c
Above, people work to remove large patches of Sargassum from Playa del Carmen, Mexico on April 6, 2022. A 5,000-mile-wide bloom of Sargassum is reportedly heading across the ocean toward Florida right now. This PHOTO BY ELIZABETH RUIZ/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES.

One 2019 study in the journal Science found that since 2011, the mats of Sargassum have been increasing, forming a massive "Atlantic Sargassum belt" stretching across the entire ocean, which as of 2018, weighed over 22 million tons.

Over 8,400 tons of Sargassum washed up on a single day at Galveston Island, Texas, which was the most ever recorded in a single 24-hour period.

"In the open ocean, Sargassum provides an essential habitat and refuge for all sorts of marine animals," Mengqiu Wang, a Sargassum researcher from the University of South Florida, previously told Newsweek.

2nd photo link: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FqgWiywW...jpg&name=small

Sargassum blooms provide shelter and food for over 100 different species, ranging from sea turtles and insects to marine mammals and birds. Additionally, the seaweed prevents coastal erosion when washed toward the shore.

However, when Sargassum blooms, it can cause a number of issues.

"When too much Sargassum piles up on the beaches, it can be harmful to the local environment, tourism, and artisanal fisheries, etc., and could also be a public health concern," Wang said.

3rd Photo link - looks like a floating matt of Sargassum Blooms:
Re: https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/22079...e042de81d779f4

Note: If the mats of seaweed become too great, they may harm coral reefs by blocking out the sunlight they need to photosynthesize, preventing sea turtles from nesting on beaches, and creating oxygen-dead zones where fish cannot survive.

Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science told NBC News that the seaweed can entangle boat propellers and block intake valves. When the seaweed gathered on beaches or in the shallows begins to rot, it releases noxious gasses like hydrogen sulfide, which can cause respiratory problems.

Over 11,000 Acute Sargassum Toxicity cases were reported in an 8-month span in Guadalupe and Martinique in the wake of the 2018 Sargassum bloom.

The 2019 Science study suggested that the blooms leading to massive mats of Sargassum may be caused by agricultural runoff from rivers containing fertilizers.

NOTE: This could be worsened by increased fertilizer use, as well as climate change, which may increase flooding and runoff into major waterways as a result of increased rainfall. Additionally, higher ocean temperatures due to climate change provide an ideal environment for the blooms to occur.

"Based on the last 20 years of data, I can say that the belt is very likely to be a new normal," Chuanmin Hu, a professor of optical oceanography at the University of South Florida, previously told Newsweek.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about Sargassum seaweed? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
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Personal note: While in the service around the islands we saw plenty of these
floating matts seaweed. Smaller craft's would get them on their props
and shut them down. Blueish green, thick matts laying on top of the water.
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[This could also be related to those having a mouth-full of Sargassum]
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