00:00If you think folks here in the southeast are only talking about hurricane season, think again.
00:05There's another Atlantic phenomenon that is well underway and has made landfall along the area beaches here in Florida and
00:12all along the southeast coast.
00:14And it has major impacts on the economy, wildlife, and more.
00:18Nella estimates roughly 39 million tons of the brown algae are currently floating across the Atlantic and Caribbean.
00:25Recent east to southeast winds have only made matters worse, pushing thick accumulations onto shorelines, inlets, and jetties.
00:33The impacts stretch far beyond the shore as well.
00:36Sargasm is now a recurring economic threat across the Caribbean, Florida, and parts of the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana and
00:43Texas.
00:43When thick mats come ashore, the cost ripples quickly.
00:47Beach cleanups, canceled hotel stays, fewer restaurant visits, fishing impacts, and tourists choosing another coastline.
00:54The seaweed definitely makes it difficult.
00:56She doesn't like to even get in when it looks gross, it looks brown, and I have a fear of
01:03sharks, that's why I'm not in the water.
01:04So unless I can clearly see it, I'm not even getting in.
01:08Researchers estimate annual losses can climb into the billions along the southeastern coastline.
01:13Now biologists say the seaweed that is piling on the shores here in the southeast is more than a visible
01:19reminder of this nuisance seaweed.
01:21It tells the story that several of these basins are interconnected, and changes that happen thousands of miles away can
01:30wind up here on our doorstep.
01:32Reporting from Miami Beach, I'm Leslie Hudson for AccuWeather.
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