The Future of Sargassum


The Future of Sargassum

            As time progresses so does technology. This allows us to make predictions about changes and patterns that may occur in the future. In this case, the Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS), can make many predictions about where the seaweed will wash up within two weeks of it’s generation in the ocean. This is done using NASA’s Landsat imagery system. This system has a 98% accuracy rate. It can detect the area of the ocean where sargassum is being produced and estimate the path it will take before washing up on the shores of the Caribbean. The seaweed is transported via the winds and ocean currents. Also, with advancements in technology we can have the use or incorporation of seaweed into basic amenities.

An artist’s rendition of Landsat 8 (LDCM); Credit: NASA
          The production of seaweed is affected by climate change which is an ongoing problem in the world. As the temperature of the ocean increases, the environment that seaweed thrives in is more conducive. This thereby increases the rate of production causing more and more seaweed mats to wash up on the shores of the Caribbean. If the rate of climate change does not slow down, we can expect longer sargassum seasons, meaning that instead of only appearing during February to September it may become a yearlong bloom. 

         Pollution is also a major factor in seaweed production. When industrial fluid is released into rivers and streams, the runoff flows into the ocean. Many ions are usually present in this runoff, some including nitrogen and phosphorus which are the main two components of fertilizers. This causes an algal bloom. If this level of pollution continues, we can expect to see a progressive increase in the amount of sargassum seaweed being washed up on our shores every year. 

         These features will determine the future of sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean. It can increase tremendously or it can maintain its levels if we can manage our pollution. 

 Source: Sargassum Early Advisory System, 2018 

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 9, 2018 at 5:53 AM

    It's shocking to see how much we contribute to the sargassum problem but solutions are proposed to clean it up after the problem, as opposed to preventing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 9, 2018 at 6:20 AM

    Very interesting and informative.. your information flowed very well into each other. Looking forward to more posts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KatNovember 9, 2018 at 1:59 PM

    Climate change really does have an effect on everything, its shocking to see how we contribute to the sargassum problem.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownNovember 9, 2018 at 3:48 PM

    Really enjoyed reading this. Interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AvinashNovember 9, 2018 at 7:53 PM

    It definitely is an issue we need to address here in the Caribbean, I agree

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownNovember 9, 2018 at 8:05 PM

    Very interesting. I hope we as humans learn about the consequences of pollution and try to prevent polluting to control the levels of sea weed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Raeann Gervais November 11, 2018 at 8:10 AM

    Very informative. I really enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete

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