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An Integrated Observing Effort for Sargassum Monitoring and Warning in the Caribbean Sea, Tropical Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico
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2022
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Source: Oceanography 34(4): 68-69.
[PDF-1.22 MB]
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Journal Title:Oceanography
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Description:The floating, golden-brown algae, pelagic Sargassum, plays an important role in the marine ecosystem of the North Atlantic, and depending on its extension and impact, has the potential to be considered a pollutant. In the open sea, it provides a habitat to numerous fish and other species and represents a highly productive ecosystem in an otherwise low-nutrient environment. However, following an apparent regime shift in 2011, large amounts of Sargassum have entered the Caribbean Sea, mostly from the tropical Atlantic, washing ashore in massive amounts (Figure 1). These seasonal events have negatively affected the economies of the region's island nations, which are largely driven by tourism and, to a lesser extent, fishing. The vast amounts of Sargassum may also cause problems for human health (e.g., arsenic concentration), marine navigation, and coastal ecosystems. Monitoring inundation events relies on a combination of in situ and remote-sensing data that have been specifically designed to detect Sargassum and are used to inform numerical models that help predict the extent, amount, and movement of these algae. Interoperable tools for data distribution, information management, and visualization are critical to ensure data, and results from monitoring and predictions, are readily accessible. Such a framework would benefit essential economic, social, and environmental domains and would define the baseline needed to coordinate future science-driven monitoring and evaluation efforts, including contributions toward eventual sustainable commercial exploitation/reuse of Sargassum.
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Source:Oceanography 34(4): 68-69.
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Rights Information:CC BY
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