Bad-smelling seaweed is washing up all over the coastlines of Florida, and researchers are warning that other US states could soon be affected.
Researchers from the University of South Florida have revealed that a type of seaweed has been accumulating in “record amounts” along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.
Sargassum, notable for its “rotten egg smell”, has been reported around the east cost of Florida, the Florida Keys, as well as the Caribbean and Lesser Antilles Islands.
Texas and Louisiana could be next
Sargassum’s smell is caused by its emission of hydrogen sulphide as it rots on the beaches. According to the Florida Health department, this seaweed isn’t harmful to your skin, though the creatures that inhabit it can sometimes cause rashes and blisters.
The hydrogen sulphide can, however, irritate eyes, noses and throats, and can affect those with asthma or other breathing problems more than others.
The research team based at the university have told Florida citizens to expect even more sargassum, and warned those in Texas and Louisiana that they should expect to see some too.
“The year of 2026 is set to be another major sargassum year” they said. “And possibly to be a record year by summer 2026”.
For similar stories, check out our coverage of the beaches of Scotland being blanketed with billions of dead beetles, or the influx of great white sharks that caused a 20-year-old fisherman to get one caught on his line.
