Visit Florida Shares Sargassum Resources for Tourism Industry

Florida’s official tourism marketing corporation is providing sargassum-related resources for the travel industry ahead of the predicted massive influx of the stinky seaweed.

Officials from Visit Florida said that while sargassum helps with shoreline stability and provides a home for many marine species, it causes a foul odor once the seaweed makes landfall on the state’s beaches and begins to rot, creating a less-than-desirable experience for visiting tourists.

“When washed ashore, sargassum will decompose (rot),” Visit Florida’s official website said. “Rotting Sargassum causes the production of hydrogen sulfide gas which smells like rotten eggs.”

Data showed that The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt contained an estimated 13 million tons of seaweed at the end of March, a new record for the period. Officials said the massive bloom would peak between June and July, with Weather.com experts revealing that major beaching events are “inevitable” in Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico throughout the summer.

In addition to shifting marketing messaging from beaches to inland activities for impacted destinations, the tourism body is working with state agencies to provide resources for Florida’s tourism industry and partners to share local, real-time sargassum information with travelers.

In terms of managing the seaweed, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes the lead along coastal waters, while the Florida Department of Environmental Protection works with local municipalities to manage sargassum that lands on beaches.