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Podcast: American Shoreline Podcast Network
Episode: The Caribbean Sargassum Explosion with Mariah McBride, Coastal Systems International, Inc.
Description: A floating macroalgae called Sargassum is exploding and forming huge mats of weed across the Caribbean Sea. Â It washes ashore on pristine beaches prized by tourists, wreaking havoc on the environment and the economy. Â Scientists believe the explosion is driven in large part by a massive nutrient influx from the Amazon River, higher water temperatures, and increased availability of dissolved CO2 in the water column. Â Poor land management practices in the Amazon Basin -- land clearing, agriculture, fires, and mining -- are increasing nutrient runoff and driving this natural algae to new levels of growth. Â The natural system is clea...