Massive Seaweed Belt Still on Track to Hit U.S.

A giant seaweed belt twice the width of the United States has its sights set on Florida, where it could wreak havoc as it washes ashore.

The 5,000-mile-wide bloom is a belt of sargassum, a floating brown algae that usually floats in the Atlantic. The problems start when it comes on land and starts to rot. As it decays, sargassum lets off hydrogen sulfide and smells like rotten eggs, explains the Florida Department of Health. It can irritate people’s eyes, nose and throat, and trigger breathing issues for people with asthma.

Massive seaweed belt still on track to hit US: When will it arrive? (The Hill).

Image: USF/NOAA

[ed. Didn't know it was this big.]