A South Florida researcher is speaking out about the seaweed swarming beaches along the Gulf and the Caribbean Sea, and she said it’s more than just a smelly situation. Ellyn Willse, graduate research assistant ay Florida Atlantic University said the piles of sargassum have covered coastlines, blocking sunlight from reaching seagrass beds and coral reefs. The decomposing algae can also lower oxygen levels and release foul-smelling gases. “We smell it here in Florida, and if you were to hang around it for a long time, it would probably cause respiratory distress and some other issues,” she said. Willse said the sargassum can affect marine life and drive away tourists, and it is not going away. “It is getting larger. I think 2025 was the largest year on record. There were 38 million tons estimated. This year I think we had 33 million tons,” she said. Scientists are now trying to find out where algae provides ecological benefits and where it becomes harmful. ...read more read less