Sargassum forecast 2018. , 2006; Wang and Hu, 2016...
Sargassum forecast 2018. , 2006; Wang and Hu, 2016). The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. Franks Looking for Caribbean islands without sargassum in 2024? This guide has Caribbean beaches not affected by seaweed in the past and forecast tips. Playa del Carmen is deploying a massive 5-kilometer anti-sargassum barrier to protect its most popular public beaches. Johnson and Jim S. , Ménard, F. What are the current seaweed conditions for Playa Del Carmen and the Riviera Maya? How is it now? Here is your sargassum update for 2025 A key step in that direc-tion is the development of a seasonal Sargassum forecast. NMS – National Meteorological Service of Belize Updated on February 09, 2026 Disclaimer: The information is provided with the understanding that The National Meteorological Service makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of this product. Mar 7, 2019 · Nereus Research Associate Colette Wabnitz (University of British Columbia) wrote a blog about the Sargassum mass bloom event that occurred in 2018, and how it impacted countries throughout the Caribbean. In large part, these efforts have been spurred by previously developed Sargassum -detection algorithms based on satellite-derived imagery (Gower et al. 2026 Could Mirror Record-Breaking Years Although it is still early in the season, ocean scientists caution that current trends bear resemblance to heavy sargassum bloom years like 2018 and 2022, when tons of the brown macroalgae inundated beaches from Mexico to Martinique. 5°. SIRs show considerable promise as a tool that can eventually incorporate improved spatiotemporal resolution Sargassum imagery, ocean circulation, wind, and wave conditions to forecast the movement of Sargassum into coastal areas. PHILIPSBURG–St. To better understand the bloom mechanisms of Sargassum and their environmental impacts, continuous monitoring of the spatiotemporal distributions of Sargassum blooms is of great importance. The data are stored in netcdf, GeoTIFF, or ascii format. -- Municipal officials have gotten a head start on the installation of anti-sargazo barriers. The Atlantic's sargassum seaweed swath reached a record size for December but it's too soon to tell what that will mean for Gulf of Mexico beaches. Satellite observations and on site reports showed a sharp rise in Atlantic sargassum in late 2025. Multiple moderate-resolution sensors have been used to monitor the large-scale floating Sargassum distributions in the Atlantic Ocean. Lesser Antilles. This dataset includes the monthly mean Sargassum density/coverage derived from MODIS measurements. Despite these complicating factors, numerous efforts have still been undertaken to monitor and forecast Sargassum blooms and coastal inundations. Outlook of 2018 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea* October 30, 2018, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab (mengqiu@mail. Oxenford1, Patrick McConney1 Don R. The Mexican Navy warns of a 75% increase in sargassum for Cancun in March and April. The University of South Florida Oceanography Lab predicts that 2026 could potentially be the worst year for sargassum seaweed on record. Looking for Caribbean islands without sargassum in 2024? This guide has Caribbean beaches not affected by seaweed in the past and forecast tips. , Morvan G. North Quintana Roo zone - Traffic light and Red Sargazo Despite these complicating factors, numerous efforts have still been undertaken to monitor and forecast Sargassum blooms and coastal inundations. Nature Foundation St. Researchers say this year’s bloom of sargassum surpasses previous records set in 2018 and 2022. 2026 Mexico Caribbean Sargassum outlook is rising after USF's January 31, 2026 bulletin, so Cancún to Playa del Carmen travelers should plan beach backups These projections coincide with other reports that indicate that sargassum arrivals have grown in magnitude and frequency in recent years, with 2025 being a season with accumulations close to record levels. Another big step in the system includes algorithms that will allow researchers to forecast the movement of the Sargassum several days in advance. The recent proliferation of pelagic Sargassum spp. In 2018, the estimated cost to collect and transport to the landfill decomposing excessive Sargassum in Miami-Dade County was $35 million. [49][57] Recent inundation events have caused millions of dollars of lost revenue in the tourism industry, especially hurting small Caribbean countries whose economies are highly dependent on seasonal When sargassum accumulates along shorelines and begins to decompose, it releases hydrogen sulfide gas, producing a strong odour similar to rotten eggs. The coverage data range from 2001 to 2018 and the density data range from 2001 to 2010. Maarten Director Leslie Hickerson said monitoring efforts are already underway as regional data point to It also has the latest updates on the Cancun seaweed problem and details on sargassum seaweed forecast for 2026. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, and memory is not infallible, since 2018, we have been publishing the sargassum arrival map every year with the aim of raising awareness about the reality faced by more than 30 countries in the Caribbean and beyond. Maarten is on the verge of one of its most severe sargassum seasons on record, with massive volumes of the seaweed already surging across the Atlantic, raising concerns about potential impacts on public health, tourism and marine ecosystems. A transport and physiology model of pelagic Sargassum has been developed Skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advance This forecast extends A transport and physiology model of pelagic Sargassum has been developed Skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advance This forecast extends Forecasts for north and south of Jamaica are evaluated with satellite-observed distributions, associated with beaching events in specific years of heavy inundation, 2015 and 2018-20. Latest update on sargassum seaweed 2025 map, Sargassum Tracker, Sargassum Monitoring, sargassum season Cancun Mexico, Florida, Virgin Island Two complementary approaches have been developed for this purpose: satellite remote sensing technique, to detect Sargassum aggregations, and modeling, to forecast Sargassum displacement and growth. Feb 7, 2019 · The Inter-American Development Bank is exploring funding the economic evaluation of the impacts associated with the 2018 Sargassum mass-bloom and supporting creative solutions through its Blue-Tech Challenge Programme launched in September 2018 (Moscoso 2018). Back in early February 2018, we predicted that 2018 would be another Sargassum year for the Caribbean. Know your resort: Many hotels have installed offshore barriers or created inland lagoons to offer sargassum-free swimming options. , 2021a, Jouanno et al. Francisco Javier Osorno-Covarrubias You will find the Forecast maps for Sargassum Seaweed in Mexico, Riviera Maya. - CHTA Sargassum Resource Guide, Management Brief, and Support Infographic – developed between 2015 and 2018, the background information and guidance has relevance today. Sargassum is a common type of brown algae that floats in dense mats along the ocean surface and represents a significant risk to the environment, society, and economy of regions in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America. Sargassum Beaching Risk & Presence for Jamaica Map provided by JSEAS Jamaica Sargassum Early Advisory System & MONAGIS University of Southampton Valid for the month: June 2024 Zone: O = Offshore, N = Nearshore Consult other Forecasts Abstract Pelagic Sargassum is abundant in the Sargasso Sea, but a recurrent great Atlantic Sargassum belt (GASB) has been observed in satellite imagery since 2011, often extending from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. in the Tropical Atlantic causes major ecological and socioeconomic impacts to the wider Caribbean when it washes ashore, with regional fisheries Outlook of 2018 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea* November 30th, 2018, by University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab (mengqiu@mail. , 2018, Jouanno et al. , Aumont, O. 5° by 0. For the last 15 years, the blooms have grown in both frequency and intensity. Francisco Javier Osorno-Covarrubias The timing and severity of sargassum beaching events across the Caribbean is however highly variable, with record quantities present during 2018 (Wang et al. , Berline, L. These seasonal forecasts are evaluated, on lead times of up to 180 days. 2 days ago · Researchers are working on tools for forecasting SIEs to help with preparedness and management. R. Worried about Cancun seaweed season? Discover the best beaches free of seaweed in Cancun, and get tips on how to avoid sargassum seaweed. Based on satellite observations and statistics of historical events, in early February 2018 the Optical Oceanography Lab developed the first 1-page Sargassum outlook bulletin for the Caribbean Sea. Don't let sargassum ruin your beach day! Find beaches without seaweed in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. We will closely monitor and track Sargassum throughout the central Atlantic, and will have better Communicating Sargassum Forecasts Shelly-Ann Cox1, Hazel A. 5 million metric tons of sargassum seaweed was detected in the central Atlantic Ocean in January, which is a slight increase from what was observed in December 2023. View interactive maps and detailed reports on beaches located in Quintana Roo. The information may be used freely by the public with appropriate In 2018, Quintana Roo businessman Omar Vázquez Sánchez made good use of the local sargassum build-up when he built an earthquake- and hurricane-resistant home from a mixture of sargassum and adobe. Satellite data shows unusually early growth of the seaweed, with over Researchers say this year’s bloom of sargassum surpasses previous records set in 2018 and 2022. We estimate growth and loss (mortality) along each particle trajectory, according to surface temperature. The SaWS generates customized near real-time satellite imagery to monitor and track large Sargassum mats. In June 2018, the 8850-kilometer GASB contained >20 million metric tons of Sargassum biomass. Here is how their massive fleet and 15,000 meters of barriers are fighting back. , Benshila R. AOML researchers created and deployed GPS tracked Sargassum-drifters in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea in 2018. , 2021b, Jouanno et al. Sargassum grows fastest at 26-27oC, but increasingly dies off at temperatures above 29oC. Sargassum seaweed 2024 forecast: When could it wash up on US beaches? According to the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab, roughly 5. In this study we developed a mechanistic model of the Sargassum populations that implements the biology and complex drift properties of the Sargassum aggregations and that integrates the atmospheric and oceanic predictability of the regional climate system. Sargassum satellite images, forecasts and outlook for the Caribbean Sea. Plan ahead: Monitor sargassum forecasts via the University of South Florida and local monitoring networks. The prototype development and release of the first four issues of the Eastern Caribbean Sub-regional Sargassum Outlook Bulletin to disseminate sargassum influx forecasts, implications for fisheries and tourism stakeholders, and information on new sargassum research and innovation. In higher concentrations, exposure can cause eye irritation, headaches and respiratory discomfort. , 2023). Once Sargassum inundates beaches and coastal areas, communities face challenging decisions on the logistics of relocating, removing, disposing or using the Sargassum biomass to create sustainable or profitable products. Sargassum in the western Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico will likely remain very low. , 2019). , Sheinbaum, J. SEAS Sargassum Early Advisory System an A&M Galveston research project dedcated to predicting Sargassum Intro Webcams Forecast Papers Symposium Contact Named after the Sargasso Sea where it originally proliferated, Sargassum is a type of floating brown algae that provides food, protection, and habitat for many marine species. edu) So far the Caribbean Sea (CS) has experienced a record-high Sargassum bloom ever since January 2018. The data resolution is 0. Information on the system and performance assessment can be found in : Jouanno, J. See the map and the 2026 seaweed forecast. A transport and physiology model of pelagic Sargassum has been developed Skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum distribution can be achieved with up to 7 months in advance This forecast extends The Atlantic's sargassum seaweed swath reached a record size for December but it's too soon to tell what that will mean for Gulf of Mexico beaches. usf. The objective of this review is to provide a synthesis of the current knowledge related to Sargassum monitoring in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. . In November 2018, the bloom intensity continued to The Sargassum Inundation Report (SIR) is made up of weekly fields derived from satellite-based observations that estimate the abundance of Sargassum in the open ocean and forecast the potential of this seaweed to reach coastlines for five regions: the Gulf of America, Central America, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and South America. Our official map 2025 map plunges you into the heart of this environmental catastrophe, making you feel the urgency of the situation. The growth of Sargassum being multifactorial, very few studies have attempted to reproduce it numerically (Brooks et al. Skillful seasonal forecast of Sargassum proliferation in the Tropical Atlantic. “These models, which Here, we report a satellite based Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) that has been developed under NASA support as a decision support tool. However, the continuous and significant increases in total amounts of Sargassum in the tropical Atlantic reinforce our earlier prediction that 2025 is likely another major Sargassum year. Marine scientists warn that 2026 could surpass all previous records for sargassum accumulation along the Yucatán Peninsula. This underpins a leading objective, the focus here, to develop and improve forecasts of sargassum events at seasonal timescale. Forecast is updated each 15 of the month. During a Sargassum inundation event in 2018, one Sargassum bloom measured over 1,600 square kilometers, more than three times the average size. Scientific geovisualization of the dynamics of Sargassum dispersion and landfall in the Caribbean, based on satellite imagery and numerical forecasts. The region in which Sargassum can be found has expanded in recent years, and includes the newly-established Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. While short-term forecast only requires accurate model of drift, growth cannot be ignored for longer-term forecast. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are currently monitoring a large Sargassum bloom and are communicating regularly via routine coordination calls to plan and share current status updates, forecasts, impacts, and trends related to Sargassum in Florida waters. The location covers from 20°S to 50°N and 98°W to 15°E. Choose wisely: Beaches like Isla Mujeres, Isla Contoy, or north-Cancún often experience less sargassum. The prediction was based on historical bloom patterns and on the observed bloom in the central West Atlantic in January 2018. A yellow-brown seaweed called Sargassum has become an annual problem for communities across Florida, the Caribbean, and Gulf Coast. Aug 1, 2022 · The timing and severity of sargassum beaching events across the Caribbean is however highly variable, with record quantities present during 2018 (Wang et al. While Sargassum plays an important role in the health of its native ecosystems While short-term forecast only requires accurate model of drift, growth cannot be ignored for longer-term forecast. Playa del Carmen, Q. Integration of surface currents in Google Earth makes it possible to forecast short-term Sargassum movement. 9mzq, ddtuz, e534c, 0r0zu7, krkp9, oprmo, suo9, ws0o, oakpe, o5imp,