PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WSVN) — A stinky situation is building up not far from Florida shores. Researchers are monitoring a record amount of smelly seaweed build up in the Atlantic, and they said the problem is expected to hit home during the summer.
The scene last July at Jetty Park was inundated with brown, smelly seaweed.
“It stinks. As it starts to decompose, it releases hydrogen sulfite,” said Brian Barnes, a research assistant professor.
It’s bad for beachgoers and it can be bad for the environment.
People here are hoping they won’t encounter it this year.
“I’m hoping to avoid it too,” said a beachgoer. “This has been our surf spot.”
“I’m sensitive to smells, so probably wouldn’t be for me, especially because this is my first time in Florida,” said a beachgoer.
Throughout the year, the seaweed made its way across the ocean.
“We’re really looking at the biggest, probably the biggest event that we’ve ever seen,” Barnes said.
Barnes, a USF researcher, said that the patch has doubled in size over the past couple of months.
He and his team have been studying possible causes for the increase, like changes to the environment and water circulation patterns. They’re also working to more accurately predict where it will end up.
“Looking at the trends, our best guess is it’s going to be a record year,” Barnes said. “The question is almost how much of a record it’s going to be.”
Researchers said there have already been reports of the seaweed washing up in the Florida Keys.
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