#sargassum — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #sargassum, aggregated by home.social.
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This is fine 🔥
The brown tide stretches across the Atlantic Ocean -
4-Dec-2025
USF-led study reveals dramatic decline in some historic sargassum populations
Study points to basin-wide ecological impacts as #sargassum
patterns change -
Shifting #Climate Alters Pattern of #Atlantic’s Giant #Seaweed Blobs
Blooms of yellowish-brown seaweed along the Equator are breaking records and defiling beaches, while a centuries-old patch farther north is disappearing.
A study published Thursday in the journal Nature Geoscience finds a big shift in the growth patterns of #sargassum, a type of floating #macroalgae that provides food and shelter for fish, turtles, seabirds and other marine life.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/climate/atlantic-seaweed-sargassum-climate.html
https://archive.ph/NTC8l -
NOAA Supports Sargassum Response In Puerto Rico
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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-supports-sargassum-response-in-puerto-rico/ <-- shared technical article
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https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/65792 <-- 2024 NOAA: ‘Nearshore Sargassum Management: Policy Analysis and Agency Gaps Assessment’
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H/T NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
#HarmfulAlgalBloom #HAB #PuertoRico #USA #coast #coastal #damage #cost #risk #hazard #sargassum #algae #impacts #accumulation #stateofemergency #wildlife #ecosystems #emergency #shoreline #innundation #fisheries #infrastructure #damage #socioeconomic #humanimpacts #habitat #publichealth #fedservice #fedscience
@NOAA @NCCOS -
NOAA Supports Sargassum Response In Puerto Rico
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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-supports-sargassum-response-in-puerto-rico/ <-- shared technical article
--
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/65792 <-- 2024 NOAA: ‘Nearshore Sargassum Management: Policy Analysis and Agency Gaps Assessment’
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H/T NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
#HarmfulAlgalBloom #HAB #PuertoRico #USA #coast #coastal #damage #cost #risk #hazard #sargassum #algae #impacts #accumulation #stateofemergency #wildlife #ecosystems #emergency #shoreline #innundation #fisheries #infrastructure #damage #socioeconomic #humanimpacts #habitat #publichealth #fedservice #fedscience
@NOAA @NCCOS -
NOAA Supports Sargassum Response In Puerto Rico
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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-supports-sargassum-response-in-puerto-rico/ <-- shared technical article
--
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/65792 <-- 2024 NOAA: ‘Nearshore Sargassum Management: Policy Analysis and Agency Gaps Assessment’
--
H/T NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
#HarmfulAlgalBloom #HAB #PuertoRico #USA #coast #coastal #damage #cost #risk #hazard #sargassum #algae #impacts #accumulation #stateofemergency #wildlife #ecosystems #emergency #shoreline #innundation #fisheries #infrastructure #damage #socioeconomic #humanimpacts #habitat #publichealth #fedservice #fedscience
@NOAA @NCCOS -
NOAA Supports Sargassum Response In Puerto Rico
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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-supports-sargassum-response-in-puerto-rico/ <-- shared technical article
--
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/65792 <-- 2024 NOAA: ‘Nearshore Sargassum Management: Policy Analysis and Agency Gaps Assessment’
--
H/T NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
#HarmfulAlgalBloom #HAB #PuertoRico #USA #coast #coastal #damage #cost #risk #hazard #sargassum #algae #impacts #accumulation #stateofemergency #wildlife #ecosystems #emergency #shoreline #innundation #fisheries #infrastructure #damage #socioeconomic #humanimpacts #habitat #publichealth #fedservice #fedscience
@NOAA @NCCOS -
NOAA Supports Sargassum Response In Puerto Rico
--
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-supports-sargassum-response-in-puerto-rico/ <-- shared technical article
--
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/65792 <-- 2024 NOAA: ‘Nearshore Sargassum Management: Policy Analysis and Agency Gaps Assessment’
--
H/T NOAA Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
#HarmfulAlgalBloom #HAB #PuertoRico #USA #coast #coastal #damage #cost #risk #hazard #sargassum #algae #impacts #accumulation #stateofemergency #wildlife #ecosystems #emergency #shoreline #innundation #fisheries #infrastructure #damage #socioeconomic #humanimpacts #habitat #publichealth #fedservice #fedscience
@NOAA @NCCOS -
How Bricks Made From Invasive Seaweed Clean Mexico's Beaches | World Wide Waste | Business Insider - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXiboAGQvM&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
#BusinessInsider #seaweed #insidernews #insiderbusiness #sargassum #Cancun #Sargablock #OmarVazquez #bioconstruction -
How Bricks Made From Invasive Seaweed Clean Mexico's Beaches | World Wide Waste | Business Insider - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXiboAGQvM&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
#BusinessInsider #seaweed #insidernews #insiderbusiness #sargassum #Cancun #Sargablock #OmarVazquez #bioconstruction -
How Bricks Made From Invasive Seaweed Clean Mexico's Beaches | World Wide Waste | Business Insider - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXiboAGQvM&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
#BusinessInsider #seaweed #insidernews #insiderbusiness #sargassum #Cancun #Sargablock #OmarVazquez #bioconstruction -
How Bricks Made From Invasive Seaweed Clean Mexico's Beaches | World Wide Waste | Business Insider - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXiboAGQvM&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
#BusinessInsider #seaweed #insidernews #insiderbusiness #sargassum #Cancun #Sargablock #OmarVazquez #bioconstruction -
How Bricks Made From Invasive Seaweed Clean Mexico's Beaches | World Wide Waste | Business Insider - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXiboAGQvM&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
#BusinessInsider #seaweed #insidernews #insiderbusiness #sargassum #Cancun #Sargablock #OmarVazquez #bioconstruction -
The Government of #StKitts and #Nevis is exploring solutions to address the growing problem of #sargassum seaweed that continues to wash up along the #beaches. https://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/126257
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This used to be a stretch of sandy beach in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Thanks to warming water temperatures, sargassum seaweed blooms have choked beaches all around the Caribbean islands.
Not only is the seaweed clogging the beach, it seems to contribute to beach erosion. There's now a steep drop off where there used to be soft dunes. We saw plenty of dead fish that were probably caught in the mass of seaweed and died when the tide dropped.
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Über 31 Millionen Tonnen #Sargassum treiben derzeit Richtung #Florida und #Karibik.
Das rasante Wachstum des giftigen #Seetangs bedroht #Ökosysteme, #Tourismus und #Gesundheit.
Hauptursachen sind steigende #Meerestemperaturen und übermäßiger #Nährstoffeintrag durch #Landwirtschaft. Während Küstenregionen mit aufwendiger Räumung reagieren, wird auch an nachhaltiger Nutzung geforscht, etwa für #Biokunststoffe oder #Wasserfilter.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/15/climate/seaweed-bloom-florida-atlantic-ocean-climate
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Sargassum — a specific type of seaweed that washes up on beaches in Galveston and other locales along the Texas coast — has long been native to the Atlantic Ocean, but has only recently begun to grow exponentially.
#EnergyEnvironment #Galveston #HealthScience #Local #News #Weather #GalvestonBeaches #SargassoSea #Sargassum #SeaweedOnTexasCoasts #TexasAMUniversity #TheGreatAtlanticSargassumBelt
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New Sargassum System Takes Aim At A Troublesome Seaweed
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https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/new-sargassum-system-takes-aim-at-a-troublesome-seaweed.aspx <-- shared article
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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/ <-- shared technical article
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #satellite #fedscience #earthobservation #Caribbean #florida #puertorico #USVI #seaweed #Sargassum #risk #hazard #damage #impact #cleanup #removal #cost #economics #fisheries #tourism #mitigation #spatialanalysis #detection #spatiotemporal #marine #algal #algalbloom #SargassumWatchSystem #costsaving #inundation #imagery #harmfulalgalbloom #HAB #biomass
@NOAA -
New Sargassum System Takes Aim At A Troublesome Seaweed
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https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/new-sargassum-system-takes-aim-at-a-troublesome-seaweed.aspx <-- shared article
--
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/ <-- shared technical article
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #satellite #fedscience #earthobservation #Caribbean #florida #puertorico #USVI #seaweed #Sargassum #risk #hazard #damage #impact #cleanup #removal #cost #economics #fisheries #tourism #mitigation #spatialanalysis #detection #spatiotemporal #marine #algal #algalbloom #SargassumWatchSystem #costsaving #inundation #imagery #harmfulalgalbloom #HAB #biomass
@NOAA -
New Sargassum System Takes Aim At A Troublesome Seaweed
--
https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/new-sargassum-system-takes-aim-at-a-troublesome-seaweed.aspx <-- shared article
--
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/ <-- shared technical article
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #satellite #fedscience #earthobservation #Caribbean #florida #puertorico #USVI #seaweed #Sargassum #risk #hazard #damage #impact #cleanup #removal #cost #economics #fisheries #tourism #mitigation #spatialanalysis #detection #spatiotemporal #marine #algal #algalbloom #SargassumWatchSystem #costsaving #inundation #imagery #harmfulalgalbloom #HAB #biomass
@NOAA -
New Sargassum System Takes Aim At A Troublesome Seaweed
--
https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/new-sargassum-system-takes-aim-at-a-troublesome-seaweed.aspx <-- shared article
--
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/ <-- shared technical article
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #satellite #fedscience #earthobservation #Caribbean #florida #puertorico #USVI #seaweed #Sargassum #risk #hazard #damage #impact #cleanup #removal #cost #economics #fisheries #tourism #mitigation #spatialanalysis #detection #spatiotemporal #marine #algal #algalbloom #SargassumWatchSystem #costsaving #inundation #imagery #harmfulalgalbloom #HAB #biomass
@NOAA -
New Sargassum System Takes Aim At A Troublesome Seaweed
--
https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/new-sargassum-system-takes-aim-at-a-troublesome-seaweed.aspx <-- shared article
--
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/developing-an-operational-sargassum-hab-monitoring-and-forecasting-system-for-the-southeastern-u-s-and-u-s-caribbean/ <-- shared technical article
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #satellite #fedscience #earthobservation #Caribbean #florida #puertorico #USVI #seaweed #Sargassum #risk #hazard #damage #impact #cleanup #removal #cost #economics #fisheries #tourism #mitigation #spatialanalysis #detection #spatiotemporal #marine #algal #algalbloom #SargassumWatchSystem #costsaving #inundation #imagery #harmfulalgalbloom #HAB #biomass
@NOAA -
Since 2011, massive, episodic influxes of floating #sargassum seaweed on #Caribbean shorelines have emerged as a coastal hazard and a recurring economic shock to tourism-dependent Small Island Developing States (SIDS). https://www.undp.org/barbados/projects/improving-national-sargassum-management-capacities-caribbean
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Sargassum seaweed (Sargassum muticum) or Wire-weed is an invasive seaweed, originating in Japan that is now found all along our coastline. Believed to have been spread between oyster farms. The small round air bladders help it float upright in the water column - and spread along the coasts when fragmented during stormy weather.
County Clare, Ireland.Cormacscoast.com walking tours
#wildatlanticway #walkingtours #discoverireland #keepdiscovering #marinelife #biodiversity #Sargassum #seaweed
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A nice story to raise your spirit.
#environnement #science #carribean #Sargassum -
Swimming #crustacean eats unlikely food source in the deep ocean https://phys.org/news/2024-09-crustacean-food-source-deep-ocean.html
A #DeepSea isopod that consumes #Sargassum sinking from the #ocean’s surface https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.0823
"Using the submersible #Alvin, scientists encountered this isopod swimming 3.7 miles deep... Surprisingly, these #isopods can be seen carrying something more common on the ocean's surface: large pieces of Sargassum #algae. At the surface, Sargassum grows using photosynthesis, forming floating forests"
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A By-the-Wind Sailor (Velella velella) washed up on the shore with a sprinkling of Sargassum seaweed "berries".
County Clare, Ireland.Cormacscoast.com walking tours
#wildatlanticway #walkingtours #discoverireland #keepdiscovering #marinelife #biodiversity #bythewindsailor #Sargassum #Ireland
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Secrets of #sargassum: Scientists advance knowledge of #seaweed causing chaos in the Caribbean and West Africa
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-secrets-sargassum-scientists-advance-knowledge.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312173121"floating mats of sargassum have long been present in the North #Atlantic. However, since 2011, a population has established between West Africa and South America, and increased in size to form 'the great Atlantic sargassum belt'—a 9,000km-long bloom, visible from space and estimated to weigh 35 million tons."
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Village gets $1.2M as Legislature passes budget :
The Village had sought about $2.6 million in project funding, but wound up with less than half of that - $1.2 million.
#Condo30 #Condominium #CrandonBoulevard #drainage #featured #GovRonDeSantis #K8basin #KathleenPassidomo #PaulRenner #republican #Sargassum #scooter #stormwater #VickiLopez
#Miami #newshttps://kbindependent.org/2024/03/08/village-gets-1-2m-as-legislature-passes-budget/
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I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
Floating #algae acts as a raft for juvenile #pelagic fish https://phys.org/news/2024-01-algae-raft-juvenile-pelagic-fish.html
Stable isotopes reveal #sargassum rafts provide a trophic subsidy to juvenile pelagic fishes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771423003384
"These rafts attract large numbers of juvenile #fish and other animals and are a potentially important transitional habitat for pre-settlement coastal #fishes... Macroalgal rafts can exceed a square kilometer, thus providing extensive habitat in some regions"
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"The "#AmericanDream" is a very painful dream."
Returning to #Mexico with $55 after decades in the #UnitedStates, #OmarVazquez started his own successful #plant #business and soon expanded into a more personal pursuit of using the massive amounts of #sargassum washing ashore to make #bricks.
These blooms are likely caused by #ClimateChange, and this business may soon be another Everything, Everywhere, All at Once option for #sustainable #HomeBuilding.
#insulation #link: https://youtu.be/2fXiboAGQvM?si=jbeEvANn9m-uyejB -
"The "#AmericanDream" is a very painful dream."
Returning to #Mexico with $55 after decades in the #UnitedStates, #OmarVazquez started his own successful #plant #business and soon expanded into a more personal pursuit of using the massive amounts of #sargassum washing ashore to make #bricks.
These blooms are likely caused by #ClimateChange, and this business may soon be another Everything, Everywhere, All at Once option for #sustainable #HomeBuilding.
#insulation #link: https://youtu.be/2fXiboAGQvM?si=jbeEvANn9m-uyejB -
"The "#AmericanDream" is a very painful dream."
Returning to #Mexico with $55 after decades in the #UnitedStates, #OmarVazquez started his own successful #plant #business and soon expanded into a more personal pursuit of using the massive amounts of #sargassum washing ashore to make #bricks.
These blooms are likely caused by #ClimateChange, and this business may soon be another Everything, Everywhere, All at Once option for #sustainable #HomeBuilding.
#insulation #link: https://youtu.be/2fXiboAGQvM?si=jbeEvANn9m-uyejB -
"The "#AmericanDream" is a very painful dream."
Returning to #Mexico with $55 after decades in the #UnitedStates, #OmarVazquez started his own successful #plant #business and soon expanded into a more personal pursuit of using the massive amounts of #sargassum washing ashore to make #bricks.
These blooms are likely caused by #ClimateChange, and this business may soon be another Everything, Everywhere, All at Once option for #sustainable #HomeBuilding.
#insulation #link: https://youtu.be/2fXiboAGQvM?si=jbeEvANn9m-uyejB -
"The "#AmericanDream" is a very painful dream."
Returning to #Mexico with $55 after decades in the #UnitedStates, #OmarVazquez started his own successful #plant #business and soon expanded into a more personal pursuit of using the massive amounts of #sargassum washing ashore to make #bricks.
These blooms are likely caused by #ClimateChange, and this business may soon be another Everything, Everywhere, All at Once option for #sustainable #HomeBuilding.
#insulation #link: https://youtu.be/2fXiboAGQvM?si=jbeEvANn9m-uyejB -
Study identifies nutrients as a driver of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-nutrients-driver-great-atlantic-sargassum.htmlNutrient and #arsenic #biogeochemistry of #Sargassum in the western #Atlantic https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41904-4
"Under normal conditions, the floating #algae provide habitat for hundreds of types of organisms. However, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt that emerged in 2011 has since then caused unprecedented inundations of this brown #seaweed on Caribbean coastlines, with harmful effects on ecosystems"
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ENTREPRENEUR BUILDS HURRICANE-PROOF HOMES USING BRICKS MADE OUT OF COSTLY INVASIVE PLANTS
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/sargassum-seaweed-invasive-algae-bricks/
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Secrets of #Sargassum
Dr. #BrianLapointe, Research Professor
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at
Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Lapointe shares his work on the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in the tropical Atlantic Ocean that has been the source of Sargassum impacting the Caribbean region since 2011.November 30th, 2023 @ 1 PM ET
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Long-term study finds #nitrogen_fixation hot spots in Atlantic seaweed.
#diazotrophs #epiphytes #Sargassum #oceans
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-long-term-nitrogen-fixation-hot-atlantic.html
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#Florida researchers find ‘high amounts’ of #FleshEating bacteria in #Sargassum
by Dylan Abad, May 30, 2023
"A new study from Florida Atlantic University is uncovering how the seaweed interacts with #plastic debris and Vibrio bacteria to create the 'perfect pathogen storm' for beachgoers and marine life.
"Samples collected by FAU revealed that Vibrio pathogens had harnessed the unique ability to 'stick' to #microplastics within the seaweed blob. The findings further showed that some #Vibrio bacteria had an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle that targeted both plant and animal hosts.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said assistant professor Tracy Mincer, Ph.D.
"For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a leaky gut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such nitrogen and phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.
"Simply put, the combination of the bacteria and microplastics could be responsible, in part, for the rapid growth of Sargassum."
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An die Strände der Karibik und Mexikos werden so viele Braunalgen wie noch nie angespült. Das bedroht die Ökosysteme der Küsten und den Tourismus. Gleichzeitig könnten die Algen im Kampf gegen die Klimakrise helfen.
Algenschwemme in Mexiko und der Karibik - Fluch oder Chance? | DW | 28.04.2023
#Alge #Braunalge #Sargassum #Algenschwemme #Algenblüte #GASB #Ökosystem #Karibik #Mexiko #CO2 #CO2-Senke #Klimawandel #Klimakrise #Dünger #Bioplastik -
#Sargassum, #invasive, sewage-scented #seaweed piling up on beaches across Caribbean, isn’t something most people look upon kindly. But for Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez, his first encounter was “love at first sight.” “Everyone said, ‘It smells horrible!’ and I remember thinking, ‘There’s something more here,’” says Mr. Vazquez, the founder of #Sargablock, a small company in #Mexico’s #YucatánPeninsula that transforms the algae into #construction# blocks.https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2023/0419/The-world-sees-invasive-seaweed.-This-gardener-sees-housing-bricks #ClimateCrisis
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#Sargassum, #invasive, sewage-scented #seaweed piling up on beaches across Caribbean, isn’t something most people look upon kindly. But for Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez, his first encounter was “love at first sight.” “Everyone said, ‘It smells horrible!’ and I remember thinking, ‘There’s something more here,’” says Mr. Vazquez, the founder of #Sargablock, a small company in #Mexico’s #YucatánPeninsula that transforms the algae into #construction# blocks.https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2023/0419/The-world-sees-invasive-seaweed.-This-gardener-sees-housing-bricks #ClimateCrisis
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#Sargassum, #invasive, sewage-scented #seaweed piling up on beaches across Caribbean, isn’t something most people look upon kindly. But for Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez, his first encounter was “love at first sight.” “Everyone said, ‘It smells horrible!’ and I remember thinking, ‘There’s something more here,’” says Mr. Vazquez, the founder of #Sargablock, a small company in #Mexico’s #YucatánPeninsula that transforms the algae into #construction# blocks.https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2023/0419/The-world-sees-invasive-seaweed.-This-gardener-sees-housing-bricks #ClimateCrisis
