MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Scientists studying sargassum had some news for South Florida beachgoers.
The giant seaweed blob that was expected to litter our shores over the summer seems to be shrinking.
Scientists at the University of South Florida said the amount of sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico has dropped by a staggering 75% in the past month.
While the seaweed can benefit marine animals by providing shade and shelter, it begins to die once it comes ashore, degrading water quality and polluting beaches.
Currently, scientists don’t know why the decline was so rapid.
One theory is that strong winds caused by recent tropical storms could have dissipated the sargassum into smaller clumps, or sunk it to the ocean floor, making it hard to see from satellites.