Seaweed invasion: Which beaches will be hit hardest by sargassum in 2026?

Related video above: Fishermen talk about the impact of sargassum in May 2025

(NEXSTAR) – The amount of sargassum seaweed blooming in the ocean has reached record volumes, researchers said, and there’s more where that came from.

The floating seaweed clumps, which grew from an estimated 9.5 million tons to 13.6 million tons in just one month, are expected to grow even more as the weather warms up. As the sargassum washes ashore, some beaches could be inundated with the stinky seaweed, as they have been in years past.

“Because of the continuous growth from November to February and because of the record-high Sargassum amount in most regions, 2026 is set to be another major Sargassum year,” researchers with the University of South Florida said at the end of February.

Sargassum isn’t a big nuisance when it’s floating out in the water. The problems start when waves of it come onshore, where it rots and emits hydrogen sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs and can cause breathing problems for people with sensitivities.

Some parts of the Caribbean, including the coasts of Mexico, Belize and Honduras, have already........

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