8,000 km Brown Belt Spreads Across the Atlantic, Causing Concern

An 8,000-kilometer brown belt has spread across the Atlantic Ocean, causing concern among scientists. This massive accumulation of macroalgae, known as the 'Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt,' began in 2011 and has since expanded significantly.

Scientists from the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used over a million satellite images and artificial intelligence tools to map the spread of macroalgae over the past two decades. Their study concluded that blooms have been increasing since 2010 and are tending to become the 'new normal'.

Tzuanmin Hu, a professor of oceanography at USF, stated that a warmer ocean would favor further algae growth. The increase in water temperature can have unforeseen consequences, as it also affects the Sargasso Sea, which historically hosted marine species.