As the summer quickly comes to an end, and students return back to school, Florida beachgoers are breathing a sigh of relief that their last days on the beach this season were essentially sargassum free this year.
This comes after what was a frustrating season last year when recording breaking levels of sargassum ruined vacations and frustrated sun-seeking travelers.
“We actually predicted this three months ago,” said University of South Florida Oceanography Professor Chuamin Hu in a news story on the topic. “We said, this year Florida may see just a little amount or nothing.”
Sargassum Free Summer
Well, not exactly sargassum free, but for most travelers to Florida this year it essentially was. Florida coasts saw some of the lowest levels of sargassum seen in many years.
Most of the floating blobs of macroalgae stayed well to the southeast of Florida, mostly in the Eastern Caribbean and Western Atlantic according to the latest tracking satellite images published by the team at the University of South Florida Department of Oceanography.
Sargassum clean-up crews in Fort Lauderdale only had been dispatched to pick up only a third of what is considered a normal amount of beach sargassum for a year.
What Caused The Decline?
Researchers are looking into what caused the decline in sargassum experienced by Florida beachgoers this year.
So far, the best guesses revolve around ocean currents, the La Niño phenomenon, global warming sea temperatures or maybe a lack of nutrients in the sea.
“By ocean currents, if you don’t have a strong ocean current, then you don’t have the momentum,” Hu said in a news story on the topic. “So, that’s the only explanation as to why they grow not as fast as in past years, there could be multiple factors – ocean temperatures, nutrient availability.”
It may also be connected to the tropical weather cycles related to the current hurricane season.
Reversion to the Mean
The mathematical concept of reversion to the mean may not please Florida beachgoers next year. What the concept says is that events that are not considered average, such as this year’s lack of sargassum on Florida beaches, are generally followed by events closer to the average.
In others, the lack of sargassum this year may actually be the exception rather than the trend.
Researchers say it is most likely that next year’s levels of sargassum on Florida beaches will most likely return to a level which is actually considered more average, or normal.
So, hopefully Florida tourists got to enjoy low to no levels of sargassum on the beaches of The Sunshine State. However, they should be prepared for it to return to normal levels next year.
What Travelers Need to Know
The Oceanography Department at the University of South Florida will continue to monitor the situation as the summer comes to a close. However, they are anticipating a more normal impact from sargassum on Florida beaches next year.
The weather patterns post El Niño and La Niña in the Atlantic Ocean look like they should be heading towards more of a normal weather cycle.
This will probably will not be the most pleasant prediction for those planning a fantastic vacation in the sun, sand and surf in Florida next summer.
Travelers are urged to continue to follow the progress of the floating sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea at our website as their Florida vacation dates approach.