Why Is NASA Tracking Seaweed From Space?

  • Released Monday, September 30, 2024
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Complete transcript available.

Something strange has been happening to the beaches across the Caribbean in recent years.

Large amounts of a brown seaweed – called Sargassum – have been washing up on shorelines. In the open ocean, Sargassum is essential habitat, but can cause a whole host of issues when it washes up on Caribbean coastlines.

So where is this seaweed coming from? And how is NASA tracking it?

Possible 2009-2010 Sargassum movement animation, with text.

Possible 2009-2010 Sargassum movement animation, without text.

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Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Monday, September 30, 2024.
This page was last updated on Monday, September 30, 2024 at 10:09 AM EDT.

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