The amount of algae observed in the Atlantic Ocean doubled from December to January. Stéphane / stock.adobe.com
The spread of these algae on the Caribbean coasts is a nightmare for the inhabitants, and a disaster for the tourist industry.
Its name despairs local residents and worries tourism professionals. Sargassum, this brown algae that lives on the surface of the water, is once again preparing to besiege the Caribbean coasts. ” We expect a dark year “, declared this week Sylvie Gustave Dit Duflo, vice-president of the Guadeloupe region in charge of environmental issues.
The monthly bulletin from the University of South Florida (USF) notes that the amount of algae observed in the Atlantic Ocean has reached a record level: it has even ” doubled from December to January », reaching 8.7 million tonnes. The previous January record dated back to 2018 (6.5 million tonnes). That year, 41,000 tons of seaweed had been collected on the Martinican coasts.
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