The establishment of a pelagic Sargassum population in the tropical Atlantic: Biological consequences of a basin-scale long distance dispersal event

Johns, Elizabeth; Lumpkin, Rick; Putman, Nathan F.; Smith, Ryan Hunter; Muller‐Karger, Frank E.; Rueda-Roa, Digna; Hu, Chuanmin; Wang, Mengqiu; Brooks, Maureen T.; Gramer, Lewis J.; Werner, Francisco E.

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2020.102269

Cited by 145 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…2018; Johns et al. 2020), this holds true for neutrally buoyant particles, irrespective of how small they are (Babiano et al. 2000; Sapsis & Haller 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…neutrally buoyant, infinitesimally small) particles (Cartwright et al 2010). While largely overlooked in 'particle tracking' in oceanography, particularly Sargassum raft tracking (Putman et al 2018;Johns et al 2020), this holds true for neutrally buoyant particles, irrespective of how small they are (Babiano et al 2000;Sapsis & Haller 2010). The Maxey-Riley theory for inertial particle dynamics in the ocean (Beron-Vera et al 2019b;Miron et al 2020;Olascoaga et al 2020) accounts for the combined effects of ocean currents and winds on the motion of floating finite-size particles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A minimal Maxey–Riley model for the drift of Sargassum rafts

Beron-Vera

Miron

2020

J. Fluid Mech.

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“…2018; Johns et al. 2020), this holds true for neutrally buoyant particles, irrespective of how small they are (Babiano et al. 2000; Sapsis & Haller 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A minimal Maxey–Riley model for the drift of Sargassum rafts

Beron-Vera

Miron

2020

J. Fluid Mech.

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“…An increase in the nutrient load in the Atlantic Basin via river discharges, due to deforestation and other land-use changes upstream [4]; b. An increase in Sahara dust [10]; c. A change in upwelling patterns off the north-eastern coast of Africa [4,11]; d. An abnormal wind regime from 2009 to 2010 in the central eastern Atlantic [12,13]; e. An increase in the sea temperature [13]; and, f.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Massive Influx of Pelagic Sargassum spp. on the Coasts of the Mexican Caribbean 2014–2020: Challenges and Opportunities

Chávez

Uribe-Martínez

Cuevas

et al. 2020

Water

164

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Since late 2014, the Mexican Caribbean coast has periodically received massive, atypical influxes of pelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso). Negative impacts associated with these influxes include mortality of nearshore benthic flora and fauna, beach erosion, pollution, decreasing tourism and high management costs. To understand the dynamics of the sargasso influx, we used Landsat 8 imagery (from 2016 to mid-2020) to record the coverage of sargasso in the sea off the Mexican Caribbean coastline, with a maximum reported in September 2018. Satellite image analysis also showed local differences in the quantity of beached sargasso along the coastline. Over the years, good practice for collection on the beach and for off-shore collection of sargasso have been established through trial and error, and the Mexican Government and hotel industry have spent millions of dollars on removal and off-shore detention of sargasso. Notwithstanding, sargasso also has various properties that could be harnessed in local industries. The stimulation of local industrial growth would offer alternatives to the dependence on tourism, as a circular economy, based on sargasso, is developed.

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“…This is critical for informing appropriate response and adaptation measures to the pelagic Sargassum events, which have significant implications for small-scale fisheries, tourism and human health, as well as innovative valorization of pelagic Sargassum in agriculture, renewable energy, carbon sequestration, and as a raw material in a myriad of potential products (UNEP 2018 1 , Desrochers et al 2020). There has been much effort expended over the last few years to understand pelagic Sargassum arrival and transport throughout the Wider Caribbean (e.g., Wang and Hu 2016, Brooks et al 2018, Putman et al 2018, 2019, Johns et al 2020. New and experimental products have been developed, which provide valuable insight into the comparative presence of pelagic Sargassum blooms across the Caribbean and GOM, and visual assessment of the probability of inundation (e.g., Webster and Linton 2013, Wang and Hu 2017, Arellano-Verdejo et al 2019.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pelagic Sargassum Prediction and Marine Connectivity in the Tropical Atlantic

Johnson¹,

Franks²,

Oxenford³

et al. 2020

GCR

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Since 2011, pelagic Sargassum has experienced extraordinary blooms in the Tropical Atlantic where a system of persistent but seasonally variable currents has retained and consolidated it in large masses. Although beneficial at sea, principally as a unique pelagic habitat, when Sargassum inundates the nearshore environment it can have catastrophic effects on tourism, fisheries, health, and local ecosystems. Providing advanced warning of arrival dates of large masses of Sargassum is critical for enabling preparations and planning for its removal, use, and mitigation. Predictions of arrival time and location involve satellite identification of Sargassum at sea together with ocean current data for forward model tracking. However, forecast ocean current data are generally valid for only 5—7 days. In this study, ocean currents from 2 models (HYCOM and OSCAR) are validated against satellite tracked drifters from the Global Drifter Program with vector correlation and with skill in replicating a drifter pathway. Various wind additions to the models are also tested. Although both models capture the surface current systems in the Tropical Atlantic, they are mediocre in performance along both boundaries. In contrast, a drifter based current data model with 0.5% wind addition had high skill levels. This skill—tested drifter—based model was then used to determine marine connectivity across the Tropical Atlantic and suggests a much broader spread of Sargassum in the eastern Tropical Atlantic than is presently observed by satellites, conforming to earlier hypotheses. This model forms the basis for seasonal scale Sargassum forecasting.

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The establishment of a pelagic Sargassum population in the tropical Atlantic: Biological consequences of a basin-scale long distance dispersal event

Cited by 145 publications

References 77 publications

A minimal Maxey–Riley model for the drift of Sargassum rafts

A minimal Maxey–Riley model for the drift of Sargassum rafts

Massive Influx of Pelagic Sargassum spp. on the Coasts of the Mexican Caribbean 2014–2020: Challenges and Opportunities

Pelagic Sargassum Prediction and Marine Connectivity in the Tropical Atlantic

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