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What's That Smell? Something is Rotten and Florida Atlantic's Seaweed Expert has the Answers

Brian Lapointe’s research interests include algal physiology and biochemistry, marine bioinvasions and marine conservation. Contact More Share

May 24, 2025

2 min

Brian LaPointe, Ph.D.

It’s back…and bigger than before. This summer, Floridians can expect a record amount of it!


Sargassum, it smells like rotting eggs and a 'mega bloom' of the algae is expected to wash up on beaches soon.


Sargassum is essentially a brown seaweed and also a type of algae. When out at sea, it's an essential item that helps feed fish, turtles, crabs and an array of ocean life.  But once it hits land, it begins to rot and can be at the very least annoying and even potentially dangerous to humans by emitting harmful gases.


The topic is getting a lot of media coverage - with reporters connecting with experts like Florida Atlantic's Brian LaPointe to get the answers and explanations they need.


The Atlantic Ocean has a toxic seaweed problem.

Floating in brown islands of algae, this year’s sargassum bloom has already broken its own size record by millions of tons — and the growing season isn’t done yet.

Now stretching across some 5,500 miles of ocean, the annual bloom is more than just an eyesore: Sargassum hurts ecosystems and economies wherever its overgrown arms reach. And they are spreading into Florida’s waterways, coating marinas and beaches in the Miami area.

“Sargassum goes from being a very beneficial resource of the North Atlantic to becoming what we refer to as … a harmful algal bloom, when it comes ashore in excessive biomass,” said Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.


For more than a decade, Atlantic coastal communities have been inundated by more and more sargassum. Images of white sand beaches stretching into azure waters have been altered by the toxic and putrid invasion. In the water, it’s home to larvae and other organisms that can irritate the skin of any passing swimmers.

As it rots on shore, it emits harmful gases— an infamous stench.

It’s a blight on beaches that repels tourists during the high-travel season, ultimately hurting towns that rely on tourism to fuel their economy.

Rising ocean temperatures due to human-caused climate change have spurred this sargassum surplus, supercharging the seaweed. In April, the University of South Florida estimated this year’s bloom is already at 31 million tons — “40% more” than the previous record from June 2022, according to LaPointe. May 15 - CNN


Looking to know more? We can help.


Brian LaPointe is available to speak with media about seaweed, sargassum and what beachgoers can expect this summer in Florida. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

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Brian LaPointe, Ph.D.

Brian LaPointe, Ph.D.

Research Professor at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Brian Lapointe’s research interests include algal physiology and biochemistry, marine bioinvasions and marine conservation.

Marine BioinvasionsCoral Reef EcologyAlgal PhysiologyBiochemistrySeagrass Ecology

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