Florida's Sargassum Apocalypse: A Massive Seaweed Blob Hits the Coastline

Weighing an estimated 10 million pounds and stretching 5,000 miles wide, a giant seaweed blob has begun making landfall on Florida beaches.

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Called sargassum, the seaweed is leaving girthy, smelly clumps on some of Florida’s most popular beaches, and more is expected to arrive.

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Seaweed globs have been reported in Brevard County and Pensacola, in northern Florida, along the Gulf Coast.

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A sargassum swarm was also spotted on the Galveston shore, and more could be on the way.

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Shelter and food are provided by the seaweed to over 100 different species, helping prevent coastal erosion.

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As two sargassum sources are along the Texas coast, it’s difficult to predict exactly how much seaweed could wash ashore.

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A rotten stench is emitted by the seaweed, posing health risks to beachgoers.

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