A significant decrease in size has been reported for the massive seaweed bloom that was expected to hit Florida earlier this year. Researchers at the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab have noted that there was an estimated .15 million metric tons of sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean Sea throughout October, and much of it had dissipated by the end of the month. There was also very little sargassum overall in the Gulf of Mexico, and nearly half of the sargassum in the Central Atlantic was situated west of the African coast.

According to the report, these abundances are much smaller compared to recent years, even for this time of year. Scientists believe minimal sargassum will be present in all regions in November. Furthermore, if there is going to be a new sargassum bloom for 2024, the first indications will appear in December.

Earlier this year, concerns were raised about the potential impact on Florida beaches when scientists noticed that a mass of seaweed known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt was stretching from Africa to