Sargassum
In summer 2023, seaweed drew widespread concern and media attention as a giant “blob” of sargassum invaded Florida as well as parts of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the bad press, messy beaches and pungent odor, a look beneath the surface reveals a vast world of diverse complexity, beauty and practical potential.
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While reports of this year’s gigantic seaweed blob have stoked interest for its novel size and odiferous nuisance, a new report defines a relationship between seaweed and microplastic waste that engenders a deadly bacteria, posing a possibly devasting threat to sea life and people.
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