MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — If you are heading to the beach this Memorial Day weekend, you might be dealing with a natural nuisance.
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Sargassum seaweed is washing ashore at Martin County beaches, and visitors are noticing it blanketing the shoreline.
"It's a lot out here, more than I've seen in a while," beachgoer Carol Armstrong said.
"We're trying to play around it," Stephanie Tomas said, with her family.
Where is it coming from?
Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, said the area is seeing more sargassum — and there is a specific reason why.
In 2011, Perry said, a large amount of sargassum formed a new belt in the Atlantic off of Africa and has since pushed sargassum to our coastline. Perry said it acts as its own ecosystem in the water.
"There are a lot of smaller fish and crabs and shrimp that harbor in that, and of course they're the food source for bigger fish," Perry said.
What are the risks?
Capt. Derick Brown with Martin County Ocean Rescue said once sargassum comes ashore, it can cause skin irritation.
In the water, it can carry marine life like jellyfish or man-o-war, which could harm swimmers.
Sargassum can also break down if left on the beach too long and release a rotten egg stench.
Beachgoers can expect sargassum on the beaches until the end of summer.
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