Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Damien Gayle Environment correspondent

Scientists warn of ‘regime shift’ as seaweed blooms expand worldwide

A beach in Playa Caribe, Dominican Republic, blanketed in sargassum
A beach in Playa Caribe, Dominican Republic, blanketed in sargassum, a floating macroalgae that forms vast colonies and drifts with the ocean currents. Photograph: Orlando Barría/EPA

Scientists have warned of a potential “regime shift” in the oceans, as the rapid growth of huge mats of seaweed appears to be driven by global heating and excessive enrichment of waters from farming runoff and other pollutants.

Over the past two decades, seaweed blooms have expanded by a staggering 13.4% a year in the tropical Atlantic and western Pacific, with the most dramatic increases occurring after 2008, according to researchers at the University of South Florida.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.