Summary:
- Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) are leading efforts to study and monitor the growth and movement of Sargassum, a type of floating seaweed that has been increasing in the Atlantic Ocean in recent years.
- Sargassum can have both positive and negative impacts, providing habitat for marine life but also causing problems when it washes up on beaches in large quantities.
- The USF team is using satellite data, computer models, and field observations to better understand the Sargassum system and develop early warning systems to help coastal communities prepare for and manage the seaweed's arrival.