Sargassum Blankets Miami Beaches as World Cup Visitors Hit South Florida
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Sargassum Blankets Miami Beaches as World Cup Visitors Hit South Florida
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Summary
South Florida beaches are coated with thick sargassum just as thousands of World Cup visitors arrive in Miami, leaving tourists wading through brown mats and foul-smelling water.
The seaweed turns the ocean a coffee-brown color, smells like rotten eggs in the heat and leaves itchy strands on swimmers, creating a headache for beachgoers, tourism officials and local businesses.
The seasonal influx is not new, but researchers say it has worsened in recent years as shifting winds and ocean currents helped the algae spread more widely.
Since 2011, a vast Atlantic sargassum belt has expanded from West Africa toward the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, making the problem a broader regional challenge beyond Miami's World Cup crowds.