CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — A massive bloom of sargassum seaweed is currently in the area of Puerto Rico, and the group that's monitoring it says it will slowly make its way here.
April through August is the sargassum seaweed season, and this year's bloom is one of the largest.
Jace Tunnell, Director of Community Engagement for the Harte Research Institute, notes that these blooms can affect access to our local beaches.
Tunnell says, "In 2014, we had it to where it was waist, sometimes chest deep, along the shoreline. I actually saw pictures of it over somebody's head."
If you've been to one of our coastal beaches recently, you've probably spotted some of the seaweed that has already washed ashore. It's only going to get worse.
"It's gonna be all up and down the Texas coast and so it will be from down in South Padre up to the National Seashore, on Mustang Island and even up to Galveston", says Tunnell.
The seaweed invasion can also cause problems for boaters.
Tunnell says, "We have video of marinas just being clogged up with it and surrounding the boats, and so that can be bad for the intake of the boats."
The seaweed isn't just an eyesore.
Tunnell says, "If enough seaweed comes in, it does start to smell after a while. You know, it's an algae. It starts breaking down, and there'll be some flies and stuff around it."
Once the seaweed begins washing ashore in large quantities, beach maintenance crews will scrape the seaweed off the beach and move it toward the dune line. The seaweed does have its benefits. It can create more beach area and help build up dunes and the dune habitat.
Jace Tunnell says sargassum seaweed is like a floating rainforest. It's home to sargassum crabs, shrimp, fish, and countless other tiny organisms. You can also use it as mulch in your garden, although Tunnell recommends cleaning out all the sand and salt water with fresh water before use.
