Illustration of sargassum and associated marine life, including fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Sargassum is a brown algae that forms a unique and highly productive floating ecosystem on the surface of the open ocean.
The Sargasso Sea is a vast patch of ocean named for a genus of free-floating seaweed called Sargassum. While there are many different types of algae found floating in the ocean all around world, the Sargasso Sea is unique in that it harbors species of sargassum that are 'holopelagic' — this means that the algae not only freely floats around the ocean, but it reproduces vegetatively on the high seas.
Other seaweeds reproduce and begin life on the floor of the ocean. Navy for more than 30 years and continues to work with the Office of Naval Research. A pioneer in the development of deep-sea submersibles and remotely operated vehicle systems, he has taken part in more than deep-sea expeditions. In , he discovered the RMS Titanic , and has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant shipwrecks, including the German battleship Bismarck , the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the U.
He is known for his research on the ecology and evolution of fauna in deep-ocean hydrothermal, seamount, canyon and deep trench systems. He has conducted more than 60 scientific expeditions in the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Sunita L. Her research explores how the larvae of seafloor invertebrates such as anemones and sea stars disperse to isolated, island-like habitats, how larvae settle and colonize new sites, and how their communities change over time.
Kirstin also has ongoing projects in the Arctic and on coral reefs in Palau. Her work frequently takes her underwater using remotely operated vehicles and SCUBA and carries her to the far corners of the world. Not one of those massive storms was as powerful as the one swirling in the water beneath them. Stirring up a rich soup Fueled by nutrients from the deep, diatoms bloomed to concentrations 10, to , times the norm—among the highest ever observed in the Sargasso Sea.
Open Slideshow. Data from satellite altimeters lower inset , which measure sea surface heights, show depressions blue and bumps red that mark cold- and warm-water eddies in the ocean on June 17, Researchers tracked the southwestward motion of eddy A4 light-blue in the upper inset by ship from June 24 to Sept. They released several drifters and a buoy colored tracks to capture the swirling motion of the eddy?
The research vessels Oceanus and Weatherbird II worked in tandem for two summers, tracking different aspects of eddy dynamics. The ships met at sea several times during the two-year operation. The VPR found billions of microscopic plants blooming in eddy A4. Photo by Stephan Duller, Rutgers University. Researchers deploy a sampling sled to detect chemical tracers, which helped them track how eddies mix water layers of the ocean.
Photo by David Ciochetto, Dalhousie University. She measured how nutrients affect the abundance of microscopic plants in the eddy. Photo by Donglai Gong, Rutgers University. Featured Researchers Dennis McGillicuddy. We use cookies to analyze site usage and improve user experience. By continuing on this site, you consent to their use.
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Exclusive Economic Zone off the southern Atlantic states, was designated as Essential Fish Habitat, which affords these areas special protection. Sargassum mats are home to more than 11 phyla and over different species. There is also a total of 81 fish species 36 families represented that reside in the Sargassum or utilize it for parts of their life cycles. Other marine organisms, such as young sea turtles, will use the Sargassum as shelter and a resource for food until they reach a size at which they can survive elsewhere.
Commercial Uses. In St Lucia , one entrepreneur is turning it into a plant tonic, while in Barbados, a fertilizer project is underway. Sargassum has a nutrient content of about 1- 1. Composting can alleviate the usage of synthetic fertilizers.
Sargassum seaweeds have essential nutrients that plants need; this can also help to mitigate some of the synthetic fertilizers that are used. During the Sargassum Crisis in Trinidad and Tobago, a local cocoa estate began using the seaweed as fertilizer. There is also talk of bio-gas in Barbados depends on a regular supply of biomass and affordable collection costs. Tests have found some sargassum is high in arsenic, which rules out use as animal feed.
The seaweed has also been used to create paper products, cosmetics, and skincare products, cocktail drinks, and bricks for home construction. When Sargassum is present in nearshore areas bays, beaches , venturing into the water can become dangerous and is not recommended.
When Sargassum piles up onshore, the decomposition produces hydrogen sulfide, giving off the scent of rotting eggs that repel beachgoers and tourists. In particularly severe situations, this can disrupt economies dependent on tourism. Sargassum mats can stretch for kilometers across the ocean. This can prevent boats from getting into the water in nearshore areas. The seaweed can entangle ea turtles and dolphins, fatally preventing them from surfacing for air. When it dies, while still offshore, and sank, it can smother seagrass meadows and coral reefs.
In , 2 mature and juvenile hawksbill, leatherback and green turtles died as they struggled to make it to and out of Barbados nesting sites, which lay under two to three feet of Sargassum seaweed. In the case of Trinidad, piles of seaweed on the coasts have proved detrimental to nesting for the endangered leatherback turtles, making their trek to land and nesting onshore more difficult. This seaweed can make it near impossible for turtles to dig holes in which to lay their eggs and hatchlings also struggle to walk on the seaweed en route to the sea.
Many hatchlings have died after becoming tangled and trapped in the sargassum seaweed. Hydrogen Sulfide — When washed ashore, Sargassum will decompose. Decomposing Sargassum produces hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotted eggs — giving the unpleasant smell. Hydrogen sulfide can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. People with asthma or other breathing ailments will be more sensitive to the effects of hydrogen sulfide. In severe situations, vulnerable groups may have difficulty breathing after inhalation.
This gas, in high concentrations, can also cause the discoloration of metal faucets and corrosion of wiring in any electronic items. Skin Irritation — Sargassum itself does not cause rashes nor stings. However, tiny organisms that live in the Sargassum like larvae or jellyfish may irritate the skin when in contact.
As of , CHU Martinique has seen over patients for clinical symptoms potentially associated with exposure to gaseous emissions from Sargassum decomposition. The most frequent clinical signs and symptoms include:. In most cases, Sargassum mats are not hazardous to human health. Practice common sense safety if you live along the coastline or are interacting with the seaweed. If workers are collecting and transporting Sargassum, they should wear protective clothing, such as gloves, boots, and gas filter half masks.
Beyond the unpleasant smell, can Sargassum harm me? As mentioned above, people with asthma or other breathing ailments will be more sensitive to the effects of hydrogen sulfide the cause of the unpleasant smell. In severe situations, sensitive people may have difficulty breathing after inhalation. Sargassum can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. If you are exposed to hydrogen sulfide for a long time in an enclosed space with little airflow like some work exposures , it can affect your health.
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