Overview
- New January 2026 imagery shows a dense brown band stretching across the central Atlantic toward the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
- NASA has tracked the seasonal phenomenon since 2011, with biomass peaking at a record 38 million tonnes in May 2025.
- The University of South Florida’s latest survey estimated about 13 million tonnes, highlighting substantial but variable loads.
- Winds and currents concentrate the algae into westward-moving mats, making major strandings likely across the Caribbean and Florida’s east coast.
- Decomposition depletes oxygen and releases hydrogen sulfide, damaging reefs, fisheries and tourism, while systems like SaWS offer early warnings in the absence of a quick fix.