Blanket of Seaweed Smothers Coastlines From the Caribbean to Mexico

CARIBBEAN – Swaths of seaweed are blanketing the beaches and coastlines of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, suffocating shorelines and snuffing out marine life while deterring visitors in areas that depend heavily on tourism.

Some 27 million metric tons of self-sustaining sargassum have been recorded in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in July, according to a report released Friday.

The prickly seaweed covers miles of coastline, releasing a foul smell as it rots onshore.

This year marks the first time scientists have observed sargassum growing in large quantities in areas including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, instead of being swept into those areas by ocean currents.