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From: Edwin Cruz-Rivera <edwin.cruzrivera from uvi.edu>
Sent: 19 May 2017 03:14
To: annelida-bounces from oat.bio.indiana.edu
Subject: Stranded Sargassum
Dear Colleagues,
Many of you might be aware or have observed that during the past several years beaches around the Caribbean (and the Gulf of Mexico) have been impacted by high amounts of brown algae known as Sargassum or gulfweed. I am trying to build a historical record of these events. The goal is to add beyond what the scientific literature, databases (e.g., SaWS), and newspapers have reported so far. So, if you have pictures or made notes of places where you saw massive amounts of these algae in the past (or currently) I will greatly appreciate if you could share that information. My goals is to add to what is already known, particularly for the Caribbean. I figure folks who are often collecting specimens or running field experiments have likely run into these.
These stranded seaweed events have been implicated in die-offs of fishes and turtles, as well as potentially affecting tourism because of the displeasing sights and smells as the algae rot. Many Caribbean governments and businesses have been financially burdened by conducting cleanups as well. If you have witnessed these events, I will appreciate that you contact me directly (edwin.cruzrivera from uvi.edu) with the following: 1) Location where the algae were observed, 2) Approximate date (month and year), and 3) a picture if available (will not be published, it is to try assessing biomass). If you are unsure of what the seaweeds look like, this excellent article deals with the issue for the Gulf of Mexico: https://eos.org/features/sargassum-watch-warns-of-incoming-seaweed<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Feos.org%2Ffeatures%2Fsargassum-watch-warns-of-incoming-seaweed&h=ATOyD93-UXXgy6tBj25ZEyrd82U5pHJ3JuvDMzLOhmJViDiUdPKM-8dyXgjepbn4QcleFZRrfQS9rgBwA7OKvWeOimiaGMIw6DGS1PAllh_wBpAINhV_7f0hh7c1FmE9XFetfrSj7w>
I will be grateful for any information you can share. I am casting a broad net, so I apologize for the cross postings.
Edwin
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Dr. Edwin Cruz-Rivera
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of the Virgin Islands
#2 John Brewers Bay
St. Thomas 00802
USVI
Tel: 1-340-693-1235
Fax: 1-340-693-1385
"It is not the same to hear the devil as to see him coming your way"
(Puerto Rican proverb)
