Dear Sargasso Sea,
Thank you for being so generous with your bounty, but really, you SHOULDN’T have!!
Not last year. Not this month…at least, not this much.
Really, it’s TOO much!!!
We get it; the currents have been depositing the marine plants and refuse into your waters…but sharing sometimes isn’t all that caring…
Although, to be fair, your (VERY) bountiful gift landing on our shore has made us learn quite a bit more about Sargassum. We love that you’re a major part of the European and American eel migration…learning that Loggerhead Sea Turtles use Sargasso as cover from predators makes us smile.
The stinky smell that it leaves all along our beaches and shores however…p-ew!!
/s/
Overwhelmed beach lovers
Note:
While it’s unknown why the Sargasso (seaweed) has been piling up in large quantities, there are many theories that involve current shifts and wind direction. Cleanup efforts are almost futile, as daily social media reports show resorts trying every which way to remove the floating seaweed from shore, only to start all over the next day.
The seaweed can be used for very rich mulch in our island gardens however, so residents could take advantage of the bounty and get a load home, which once rinsed, can make native plants thrive! We’ve even seen resourceful citizens loading up trucks with the smelly stuff to use as landfill.
Gotta look on the bright – if smelly – side of the seaweed, right?!