Sargassum Seaweed Surges: 31 Million Tons Smother Florida Beaches, Tourism Gags

Tourists now dodge clouds of skin-irritating sargassum while marinas report record cleanup costs. Driven by rising ocean temperatures and fertilizer runoff, the Atlantic sargassum bloom is hurting local tourism as beachgoers swap sandcastles for nose plugs and a whiff of organic mayhem.
Sargassum seaweed blankets Florida beaches with 31 million tons, triggering toxic stench and driving away tourists as the Atlantic’s record-breaking bloom surges.