The invasion of Sargasso in the Caribbean Sea and along the coast of the Florida It represents one of the most serious environmental emergencies of the moment. This year the algae mass has reached a record figure of 31 million tons And the growth season is not over yet. It is a phenomenon that, although natural, has been strongly intensified by human factorslike the increase in the ocean temperature and the excessive presence of polluting nutrients in the waters.
These Boat brown algaenotes for the unpleasant smell they emanate when they decompose, they are invading tourist resorts From Miami to the Riviera Maya, putting economies in difficulty in difficulty seaside tourism. Sargasso, in fact, once beached, It releases toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide and ammoniaharmful to both the marine environment and for human health.
Once the resource useful for the oceanic ecosystem, today this alga has lost its natural balance. According to experts, its growth is fueled by an excess of nitrogen coming from agricultural fertilizers and by substances transported through the Mississippi and Amazon rivers. In particular, the Rain subsequent to periods of drought In the Amazon Forest they would have dragged large quantities of nutrients in the seas, promoting the uncontrolled development of biomass.
Floating barriers are installed
The authorities, as in the case of the government of Quintana Roo in Mexico, are trying to contain the emergency installing floating barriers and collecting the algae before they reach the shore. But these are expensive and often ineffective operations against a problem of global size.
Nonetheless, some researchers see an opportunity in Sargasso: its absorbent properties could be exploited for clean water, produce biofuels, ecological bricks or even Biodegradable alternatives to plastic materials. Furthermore, the possibility of seize carbon sinking the seaweed in depth, thus reducing the impact on the atmosphere.
This environmental emergency, which is now repeated every year with growing intensity, should serve as global warning: it is time to rethink our development models and the indiscriminate use of natural resources. If you do not intervene upstream, Sargasso will continue to grow and suffocate coasts, ecosystems and entire economies.
