Miami-Dade’s Battle with Sargassum: A Persistent Challenge
Every summer, the shores of Miami-Dade County face a daunting adversary: sargassum. This floating brown algae has become a familiar sight along the 17 miles of the county’s beaches, creating a significant challenge for the team led by Chris Bumpus, Chief of Conservation for the parks, recreation, and open spaces department.
Sargassum is not just a local issue; it has increasingly appeared along the coastlines of south Florida, west Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Bumpus’s team starts their day early, capturing images of the sargassum-laden beaches before deploying tractors and specialized beachcombing vehicles to manage the seaweed. July was particularly challenging, with a record 9,000 tons of seaweed removed, surpassing previous years.
“Hopefully, by October it will die down,” Bumpus remarked, noting the severity of the current season. Before any cleanup, the team ensures that new sea turtle nests are marked to prevent damage. Miami-Dade holds a special permit allowing heavy equipment use for sargassum removal, with restrictions during turtle nesting times. This season alone has seen about 700 nests along the beaches.
Miami-Dade County allocates $3 million annually for sargassum removal, the highest in Florida, funded by tourist development taxes. The Florida Keys often experience heavier accumulations due to their unique beach structure. The sargassum originates from the Sargasso Sea but has expanded since the formation of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in 2011. This belt stretches from west Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, driven by factors like nutrient runoff from major rivers and warmer ocean temperatures.
The proliferation of sargassum has been rapid, doubling every five years. Satellite imagery from this summer revealed the second-highest recorded amount of sargassum at 33.5 million tons, just behind the 38 million tons recorded in 2025.
Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch, highlights the role of climate change in the sargassum boom. “As we see more ocean warming, we get more evaporation and that drives these extreme rain events that essentially flush more nutrients from land into the ocean,” he explained.
Miami-Dade began addressing its seaweed issue in 2019. In July, county commissioners voted to seek state approval for greater flexibility in using beach raking equipment. “This year has been kind of a gamechanger,” LaPointe noted, comparing the inundations to those seen in the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
In contrast, Mexico has initiated a national plan, allocating $115 million to combat sargassum, including deploying ships to remove it from the water. While U.S. regulations currently prohibit such actions due to environmental concerns, ongoing research suggests that sargassum loses much of its marine life as it nears shore, potentially influencing future policy changes.
Though sargassum provides a crucial habitat in open waters, its impact changes drastically as it reaches beaches, affecting coral reefs and creating oxygen-depleted zones. LaPointe warns that these conditions lead to hydrogen sulfide odors, posing health risks. He advocates for addressing the root causes of the blooms alongside removal efforts, emphasizing the need for research into nutrient sources contributing to the issue.
Original Story at www.theguardian.com