Sargassum Seaweed May Soon Appear on Beaches Across the USVI

An increase in sargassum seaweed has been observed across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The seaweed could soon arrive at coastlines across the region, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“As in previous years, we expect continuous increases of sargassum in the central west Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico over the next month [in June],” according to a sargassum outlook from the University of South Florida (USF) Optical Oceanography Lab released on May 31.

“Many Caribbean nations and islands will see increased sargassum inundations in June, including the regions along the Mexican Caribbean coast,” the update continued.

The USF report explained that all regions where sargassum is monitored indicated an increase in the seaweed during May, except for the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. The report also stated that while there has been a notable rise in the amount of sargassum in the ocean and that it will likely arrive at locations including Caribbean islands, it is currently not a significant reason for concern.