Ocean 'regime shift': Seaweed blooms are taking over
A new study found that massive seaweed (macroalgae) blooms in the Atlantic and Pacific have been growing fast—about 13.4% per year over 2003-2022, with the largest increases occurring after 2008.
Researchers used AI to scan over a million satellite images and linked this surge to warmer oceans and fertilizer runoff, marking a big shift from low-seaweed to seaweed-heavy waters.
Why does it matter?
These expanding blooms aren't just an eyesore—they darken ocean waters, mess with carbon storage, and make life tougher for sensitive marine species.
The biggest growths show up in places like the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt during summer, and changing ocean circulation patterns are helping spread them even further.
Scientists say this "regime shift" could seriously affect how healthy our oceans stay in the future.