Last updated on April 29th, 2026 at 05:03 pm
Florida beaches are seeing above-average sargassum activity as spring eases into summer, and the heaviest impacts are expected in the Florida Keys and on southeast Florida beaches, where seaweed is already stacking up.
While providing essential marine habitat offshore, massive, smelly piles accumulate on beaches, releasing hydrogen sulfide during decomposition and causing respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals.
Current satellite imagery suggests increased accumulations of seaweed offshore, while exact beach landings depend on winds and currents, according to the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
“We are now at the beginning of the season when sargassum is growing in the ocean and the risk is increasing that it may be carried by winds and currents ashore,” said NOAA oceanographer Matthieu Le Henaff.
Massive piles of sargassum, the size of which have not been seen before, are floating into the Caribbean Sea, on a track towards Florida right now, according to researchers.
That track takes carries the seaweed into the Gulf of Mexico (aka Gulf of America), where it is picked up by currents that flow around the Florida peninsula into the Gulf Stream, making the Florida Keys and southeast Florida the areas most likely to feel the impact.
Beach conditions vary day to day, so one beach may be relatively clear while a nearby beach has a heavy buildup. Tourist-heavy beaches are routinely raked, usually every morning.
Lower in this story, we provide links to live webcams for beaches where seaweed may accumulate.
Sargassum forecast as of April 28, 2026
MAP KEY: Red indicates high risk of seaweed expected on these beaches and offshore in the coming days and weeks. Orange predicts moderate presence of seaweed on beaches and offshore waters. Light blue indicates low levels of seaweed are forecast to wash ashore. The yellow arrows show the direction of currents that carry the seaweed from the Gulf to Florida beaches. The seaweed enters the Gulf from the Caribbean Sea and Central Atlantic. (NOAA CoastWatch)
Related stories:
- Sargassum is swirling in the Gulf. Will it reach Fort Myers, Naples? News-Press, 4/29/2026
- Massive Atlantic sargassum blooms traced to West Africa, The Invading Sea, 4/27/2026
- Another record sargassum seaweed year predicted for Florida beaches, Florida Today, 4/10/2026
- 2026 Sargassum bloom on track to be the largest, smelliest season yet, Popular Science, 3/23/2026
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sargassum seaweed provides beneficial shelter from the sun and food for fish as it floats along currents originating in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sargassum seaweed off South Florida acts as a vital floating ecosystem (or “weed line“) that provides food, shelter, and nursery grounds for numerous prized fish species, including mahi-mahi, sailfish, wahoo, and amberjack.
As an offshore angler, I am quite familiar with these patches of seaweed, which often form long lines along the edge of the Gulf Stream. Trolling these lines is productive for gamefish, especially for schools of mahi-mahi lingering in the shade and nibbling on small fish and crustaceans harboring within.
The seaweed itself is not harmful to human, but decaying sargassum on beaches releases hydrogen sulfide that can impact people with breathing issues.
Research by Florida Atlantic University suggests the pathogenVibrio sticks to microplastics that merge into sargassum clusters at sea. While the bacteria has not been detected in sargassum ashore, beachgoers are advised to keep their distance.
Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening food-borne illnesses from seafood consumption as well as disease from open-wound infections, according to the national Centers for Disease Control.
You might think seaweed could be removed from the water before it hits our beaches, but that’s against the law because of its value as a shelter and food source for marine life.
Once the sargassum blob hits the beach, it is legal to remove it. Popular tourist beaches rake the seaweed each morning and remove it, but with the state’s 1,350 miles of shoreline, that’s not possible on every beach.
Resource for you: Sargassum Information Hub
Beach Cams around Florida
Sargassum seaweed arrives in waves, depending on wind direction and currents.
These links will take you to live beach cameras at popular Florida beaches so you can see for yourself in real time.
Atlantic Beaches (North to South)
- Jacksonville Beach (surfguru.com)
- St. Augustine Beach (surfstationcam)
- Flagler Beach Pier
- Ormond by the Sea
- Daytona Beach
- New Smyrna Beach
- Cocoa Beach (Jetty Park)
- Cocoa Beach
- Melbourne Beach (surfguru.com)
- Sebastian Inlet (surfguru.com)
- Deerfield Beach
- Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (earthcam.net)
- Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Dania Beach
- Hollywood Beach
- Miami Beach
- Key Biscayne
- Islamorada (Beach at Amara Cay)
- Marathon (Beach at Tranquility Bay)
- Key West (Fort Zachary Taylor Beach)
Gulf Beaches (Panhandle to South)
- Pensacola Beach (visit pensacola)
- Destin (surfguru.com)
- South Walton / 30a Beach Webcams
- Clearwater Beach
- Indian Shores (surfguru.com)
- Treasure Island (surfguru.com)
- Siesta Key
- Venice Beach (Sharkey’s on the Pier)
- Fort Myers Beach
Sargassum FAQ
What is Sargassum?
Sargassum is a type of floating brown algae, commonly called “seaweed.” These algae float at the sea surface, never attach to the sea floor, and they can aggregate to form large mats in the open ocean.
Where does it come from?
Historically, the majority of Sargassum aggregated in the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic, with some small amounts found within the Gulf and Caribbean.
In 2011, the geographic range expanded, and massive amounts of Sargassum moved west into the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf, and south tropical Atlantic, washing ashore in Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and most islands and coastal areas in the Caribbean Sea.
What are the benefits of Sargassum?
Sargassum, in normal amounts, provides habitat, food, protection, and breeding grounds for hundreds of diverse marine species, including commercially important species, such as tuna and swordfish, which feed on the smaller marine life present in Sargassum mats.
If Sargassum reaches the coast in small/normal quantities, it may help to avoid beach erosion.
What are some of the drawbacks of Sargassum?
As Sargassum accumulates close to the coastlines, it can smother valuable corals, seagrass beds, and beaches. As it washes ashore the seaweed begins to decay, attracting flies and other insects.
During its breakdown, Sargassum produces hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells of rotten eggs, repelling beachgoers.
Sargassum can also impact navigation, block water intake in desalination plants, and impact benthic ecosystems after/if they sink to the bottom of the ocean.
What threats, if any, does Sargassum pose to human health?
Studies of the impact of Sargassum on human health started very recently and this is a topic that needs more time to be fully understood. However, when decomposed, Sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide (a gas) that may cause respiratory health problems. Sargassum is also known to often contain heavy metals that can be toxic to humans and animals.
What about reports of ‘flesh-eating bacteria’ in sargassum?
In the open ocean, researchers at Florida Atlantic University discovered the pathogen Vibrio sticking to microplastics that merge into sargassum clusters at sea.
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, even death, from open-wound infections, according to the national Centers for Disease Control.
Kevin Johnson of Florida Tech’s marine sciences department, says the FAU research “has not demonstrated the sargassum coming onshore is especially dangerous with regard to bacterial infection for people.
Many of the bacteria that are associated with those plastics and sargassum are already present in our environment.”
What you should know about flesh-eating bacteria on beaches, CNN, 6/9/2023
“I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,” says FAU biologist Tracy Mincer. “In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.”
Sargassum removed from beaches is frequently used in fertilizers.
Does Sargassum cause skin rashes and blisters?
Sargassum does not sting or cause rashes. However, tiny organisms that live in Sargassum
(like larvae of jellyfish, sometimes called sea lice) may irritate skin if they come in contact with it.
Why did the geographic range for Sargassum expand in 2011?
Researchers are still assessing various hypotheses about the cause of this first documented extreme event.
One hypothesis proposes that during the winter of 2009–10, winds that typically blow east from the Americas to Europe, strengthened and shifted south more dramatically and persistently than any other time.
This shift in winds triggered a long-distance eastward dispersal of Sargassum, from the Sargasso Sea, toward the Iberian Peninsula in Europe and West Africa.
After exiting the Sargasso Sea, the Sargassum drifted southward in the Canary Current and entered the tropics.
Once in this new and favorable tropical Atlantic habitat, with ample sunlight, warm waters, and nutrient availability, the Sargassum flourished and has continued to grow.
In addition to changing wind patterns, other hypotheses include other factors, including the outflow of major rivers, nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) concentration in the oceans, increases in the amount of phosphorus due to Saharan dust, water temperature, and river runoffs.
Having established a new population, the Sargassum now aggregates almost every year, starting in January/February in a massive belt north of the Equator, along the region where the trade winds converge.
During the late winter and early spring months, the Sargassum moves northward with the seasonal winds and currents. By June, this belt may stretch across the entire central tropical Atlantic. Large portions of this algae are then transported into the Caribbean Sea and Gulf via the North Equatorial and Caribbean current systems.
Is the amount of Sargassum in the Atlantic/Caribbean increasing?
Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum have occurred every year in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf, and tropical Atlantic, but the amount can vary from year to year.
The presence of Sargassum occurs over large areas from the tropical Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf.
Sargassum does not extend as a blanket (or blob) covering the full surface of the ocean in these regions. Instead, Sargassum floats in patches of various sizes. Some of these patches reach the coastal areas, including beaches, ports, and even intake systems for drinking water.
The area that these patches cover has been significantly larger in recent years than prior to 2011.
Hi! I am planning to to do Lauderdale by the beach this weekend? How is the. Sargassum? Thank you so much’
Not enough to worry about. You may find occasional seaweed patches on the beach, but that’s normal for this time of year.
Hi. Planning a family trip to Naples Beach July 13-19. Was hearing we may be affected by sargassum weed? Will hate to be there and not be able to swim. Coming from Canada. Also concern about omeba. Should I reconsider visiting at this time?
The seaweed glut is easing along the Southwest Florida coast, according to the University of South Florida, and when I looked at the Naples Beach web camera this morning, there doesn’t appear to be any seaweed at all on or near the beach. Here’s a link to a live web cam: https://youtu.be/3VJGu5uD1bM. As for the amoeba, the only amoeba reported by scientists has been attached to microplastics caught up in seaweed far out in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the results of a study by Florida Atlantic University. Even with that study, there is no evidence any human interaction with seaweed has caused any medical issues. Obviously, the decision is yours to make. But personally, I don’t think there’s a lot of reason for concern.
Hi Bob, planning on going to crandon park in key biscayne this weekend. My elderly grandmother is freaking out because she heard about the flesh eating bacteria on the news. Are you familiar with this area? Do you think it’ll be safe to swim? Appreciate you taking your time. Thanks
The seaweed seems to be easing up on South Florida beaches for now, so I wouldn’t be concerned. As for the amoeba, there is no evidence that anybody has been affected by “flesh-eating bacteria.” Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have only detected it on microplastics far out at sea, but there is no evidence of them washing ashore with seaweed. Obviously, the choice is yours to make. Personally, I don’t think there’s much of a threat. Here’s a link to a live web cam on Key Biscayne so you can see for yourself. https://keybiscayne.fl.gov/uniquely_kb/kb_beach_cam.php
Thank you Bob, you’ve been most helpful. I too think it’ll be fine
We suppose to be going to Key West for a week starting June 17. My mother is concerned too. I’m not sure if we should cancel or not ? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn’t let a little seaweed get in the way of your trip to Key West. There are far more distractions in Key West than a beach. The five public beaches are scattered around the island, and I doubt they would all have a sargassum problem at the same time. If you are still concerned, call your hotel or the host of your vacation rental. Whatever you do, have fun!
I am planning a weeks vacation in Destin Junee 11th . I just read an article that the brown seaweed can also carry flesh eating omeba. I am now freaking out. Should we consider not going.
Kevin Johnson of Florida Tech’s marine sciences department, says the FAU research in the article you read “has not demonstrated the sargassum coming onshore is especially dangerous with regard to bacterial infection for people. Many of the bacteria that are associated with those plastics and sargassum are already present in our environment.”
Hi we are planning a trip to Panama City Beach July 22-29, how bad do you think the seagassum will be affecting the beach?
No way to predict, but Panama City Beach is one of those destinations that keeps its beaches clean, especially considering their prime tourist season is summer. I wouldn’t worry about it.
Greetings Bob, I wanted to draw your attention to a news program from today about the Sargassum Seaweed. According to WEAR NEWS, FAU has determined the bacteria vibrio is found in the seaweed. This bacteria is the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. I am planning a trip to John Penningcamp State Park in a couple of weeks and was looking forward to snorkeling. Now I’m not sure it would be a good idea. I have Cancer so I have to be vigilant about such issues. Thoughts? Cheers, Susan
Hi Susan: The original FAU press release about this issue seems to focus on beached sargassum, but the level of threat is unknown. It’s likely you’d be snorkeling offshore from a boat at Pennekamp. At sea, sargassum comes in lines and clumps, not highly concentrated like it is on the beach, and it doesn’t start rotting and releasing pathogens until it lands on the beach, or so we’re told. My gut tells me the FAU research is very preliminary. But considering your other issues, I’d talk to your doctors. Good luck beating your cancer.
@Bob Rountree, Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I’m still on the fence.