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(NEXSTAR) – The seaweed invasion is underway. Clumps and mats of sargassum have exploded in volume, now amounting to a near-record 29 million metric tons of the seaweed.
Most of that sargassum is floating in the ocean, but huge blobs have made their way to shore, washing up and rotting on Atlantic and Gulf beaches. Since the start of June, more of the stinky stuff has started to pile up on basically all sides of Florida, from the eastern coast down to Miami and the Keys and all the way up to Perdido Key in northwest Florida.
The University of South Florida, whose Optical Oceanography Lab tracks sargassum growth year-round, expects the seaweed to grow even more abundant by the end of the month.
“Beaching events around the Caribbean and southeast coast of Florida will continue and likely increase,” the researchers predict.
They predict the next victims are likely to be Texas and Louisiana, as the clumps of sargassum make their way deeper into the Gulf.
“The year of 2026 is set to be another major Sargassum year,” the researchers say, “and possibly to be a record year by summer 2026.”
A soccer fan wades through sargassum on the beachfront in Miami Beach, Fla., Thursday, June 11, 2026. Swimming or wading in sargassum is not recommended. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) What happens when sargassum washes up?
There’s not a major problem with sargassum when it’s floating out in the water. The issues start when waves of it come onshore, where the seaweed rots and emits hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.
It smells like rotten eggs and can cause breathing problems for people with sensitivities. After prolonged exposure, the gases can cause nausea, headaches, vertigo, memory loss and confusion.
Small organisms, like jellyfish, also live within the seaweed mats, which can sting or irritate the skin if they’re touched. Not to mention, the sargassum leaches pollutants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, including pesticides and heavy metals.
Handling and smelling the rotting sargassum can create health problems for workers tasked with cleaning it up, for example at resort beaches.
The Florida Department of Health recommends beachgoers also avoid touching or swimming near the seaweed. The department also suggests using gloves if you have to handle sargassum and closing windows if you live near the beach to avoid breathing issues and bad smells.
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