A blob of sargassum seaweed thousands of miles long is approaching the Southeast United States and Gulf Coast.
It is expected to make landfall over the next several months, bringing with it the stench of rotten eggs and respiratory problems, much to the chagrin of Key West business owners, residents and visitors.
kAmu:CDE 5:D4@G6C65 3J r9C:DE@A96C r@=F>3FD 5FC:?8 9:D G@J286 E@ E96 p>6C:42D[ E96 >24C@2=826 92D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 8C@H[ 42FD:?8 AC@3=6>D 7@C C6D:56?ED :? $@FE9 2?5 r6?EC2= p>6C:42[ E96 r2C:3362?[ u=@C:52 2?5 E96 vF=7 r@2DE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 a_`h A2A6C HC:EE6? 3J D4:6?E:DED 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 $@FE9 u=@C:52]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C’D 36=E :D 6DE:>2E65 E@ 36 >@C6 E92? d[___ >:=6D =@?8]k^Am
kAm%96 :?4C62D6 :? E96 2=826 — H9:49 D6CG6D 2D 2 ?FCD6CJ 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> E:?J 4C23D 2?5 D9C:>A E@ =2CG2= 5@=A9:?7:D9[ D2:=7:D9[ >2C=:? 2?5 3=F67:? EF?2 — :D 2 3@@? 7@C @77D9@C6 2?8=6CD E9C@F89@FE E96 pE=2?E:4 ~462? 2?5 E96 r2C:3362? $62]k^Am
kAmqFE :E :D 368:??:?8 E@ 42FD6 AC@3=6>D 7@C 4:E:6D =:<6 z6J (6DE]k^Am
kAm(96? 42DE 2D9@C6 3J D@FE962DE6C=J 2?5 D@FE9 H:?5D[ E96 D62H665 82E96CD :? =2C86 >2ED 2?5 564@>A@D6D] pD E92E ?2EFC2= AC@46DD 368:?D[ 9J5C@86? DF=7:56 :D C6=62D65] %96 6?DF:?8 C@EE6?\688 DE6?49 2?5 2DD@4:2E65 C6DA:C2E@CJ AC@3=6>D 2C6 2? F?7@CEF?2E6 4@?D6BF6?46]k^Am
kAm%96 3=@@> 92D D6G6C6=J :>A24E65 3FD:?6DD6D 2=@?8 E96 D@FE9 D:56 @7 z6J (6DE[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 $@FE96C?>@DE r276 2?5 $@FE9 q6249 r276 2E E96 7@@E @7 sFG2= $EC66E] w@>6@H?6CD 2=@?8 E96 D@FE9 D:56 @7 E96 :D=2?5[ 2D H6== 2D 2=@?8 E96 42?2=D @7 z6J w2G6?[ 92G6 2=D@ 4@>A=2:?65]k^Am
kAm{@42= 2EE@C?6J 2?5 3FD:?6DD>2? |:4926= w2=A6C? :D :? E96 AC@46DD @7 H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 r:EJ @7 z6J (6DE E@ 6C64E 32CC:6CD E@ 96=A 4@?EC@= 2?5 82E96C E96 7=@2E:?8 2=826 2D :E H2D96D @?E@ D9@C6 2E E96 32D6 @7 sFG2= $EC66E 2?5 E96 $@FE96C?>@DE w@FD6]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 9@A:?8 — 2E @FC 6IA6?D6 — E@ :?DE2== E96 32CC:6CD 3J pAC:= @C |2J[” D2:5 w2=A6C?] “&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 D62H665 92D 2CC:G65 62C=:6C E92? H6 2?E:4:A2E65]”k^Am
kAmw2=A6C? D2:5 E92E 2=E9@F89 96 92D?’E D66? 2 5C@A :? 3FD:?6DD[ :7 :E 86ED >F49 H@CD6[ :E H:== 282:? 36 2 AC@3=6>]k^Am
kAmpE 2 C646?E z6J (6DE r:EJ r@>>:DD:@? >66E:?8[ 6>A=@J66D 7C@> E96 25;246?E $@FE96C?>@DE q6249 r276 DA@<6 E@ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 23@FE E96 :>A24ED 42FD65 3J E96 D62H665 8C@F?5:?8D] $6G6C2= D2:5 E96J 925 EC@F3=6 3C62E9:?8 2?5 DF776C65 =2DE:?8 67764ED 7C@> :?92=:?8 E96 9J5C@86? DF=7:56 82D]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 A2DE 564256[ E96 7=@2E:?8 >2DD 92D >@G65 7FCE96C D@FE9 7C@> :ED EC25:E:@?2= A@D:E:@? — E96 $2C82DD@ $62 — >:5H2J 36EH66? E96 |:5\pE=2?E:4 4@2DE @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 (6DE p7C:42]k^Am
kAmpD E96 2=826 92D D9:7E65 :?E@ H2C>6C H2E6C[ C6D62C496CD 36=:6G6 :ED 8C@HE9 92D 366? 7F6=65 3J 6I46DD ?FEC:6?ED DA:==:?8 :?E@ E96 pE=2?E:4 ~462? 7C@> E96 p>2K@? #:G6C q2D:?] $4:6?E:DED 2=D@ 36=:6G6 ?FEC:6?ED 7C@> E96 |:DD:DD:AA: 2?5 r@?8@ C:G6CD 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 8C@HE9 6IA=@D:@?]k^Am
kAmv=6? q@6 2?5 pDD@4:2E6D[ 2 DECF4EFC2= 6?8:?66C:?8 7:C> 32D65 :? |2C2E9@?[ :D 56D:8?:?8 E96 32CC:6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ’D !=2??:?8 s6A2CE>6?E 2AAC@G65 A=2?D 7@C E96 32CC:6CD =2DE J62C[ 3FE w2=A6C? 2?5 @E96CD :?E6C6DE65 :? 3F:=5:?8 E96> >FDE D66< A6C>:EE:?8 7C@> 2AA=:423=6 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 286?4:6D]k^Am
kAmw2=A6C? D2:5 96 :D DE:== 56E6C>:?:?8 E96 4@DE @7 E96 32CC:6CD 3FE 9@A6D E92E E96 4=62?FA 677@CE[ @?46 E96 7=@2E:?8 3@@>D 4@==64E D62H665 2?5 @E96C >2C:?6 563C:D[ H:== 36 2 ;@:?E 677@CE 36EH66? 3FD:?6DD 2?5 E96 r:EJ @7 z6J (6DE]k^Am
kAm|2J@C %6C: y@9?DE@? 28C665]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 =@@<:?8 2E H2JD E@ :?4C62D6 @FC 36249 4=62?FA 677@CED C682C5:?8 D2C82DDF>[” D2:5 y@9?DE@?] “w@A67F==J[ H6 42? AC6G6?E E9:D 7C@> 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ 36 2 ?F:D2?46 7@C C6D:56?ED[ G:D:E@CD 2?5 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 2=:<6]”k^Am
kAm%96 @?D=2F89E @7 E96 ?@I:@FD J6==@H 2=826 :D 6IA64E65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 :?E@ ~4E@36C] %96 u=@C:52 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 92D 2 76H DF886DE:@?D 7@C E9@D6 E92E >:89E 36 962565 E@ E96 36249]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2=D DF886DE 2=H2JD DFA6CG:D:?8 49:=5C6? H9:=6 2E E96 36249 2?5 ?@E E@F49:?8 @C DH:>>:?8 ?62C D62H665 E@ 2G@:5 DE:?8:?8 @C82?:D>D E92E =:G6 :? :E] %96J C64@>>6?5 H62C:?8 8=@G6D H96? 92?5=:?8 E96 2=826[ :7 ?646DD2CJ] %9@D6 6IA6C:6?4:?8 3C62E9:?8 :DDF6D 27E6C :?92=:?8 9J5C@86? DF=7:56 D9@F=5 2G@:5 E96 2C62[ 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ =:G6 ?62C E96 36249 D9@F=5 4=@D6 H:?5@HD 2?5 5@@CD] %96J 2=D@ C64@>>6?5 D66<:?8 2 A9JD:4:2? @C 42==:?8 h`` :7 6IA6C:6?4:?8 3C62E9:?8 5:77:4F=E:6D]k^Am
kAm$2C82DDF> :D?’E E96 @?=J C6DA:C2E@CJ E9C62E C6D:56?ED 92G6 E@ H@CCJ 23@FE 7C@> E96 @462?]k^Am
kAm%96 s~w 92D 2=D@ :DDF65 2 C65 E:56 42FE:@? 7@C E96 2C62 DFCC@F?5:?8 $2HJ6C z6J @? E96 vF=7 D:56 @7 rF5;@6] p 962=E9 42FE:@? :D :DDF65 H96? E96 =6G6= @7 C65 E:56 — 42FD65 3J >:4C@D4@A:4 5:2E@>246@FD 2=826 42==65 5:?@7=286==2E6D — :D =@H W>@C6 E92? `_[___ 3FE =6DD E92? `__[___ 46==D A6C =:E6C]Xk^Am
kAm%96 A2CE:4F=2C 2=826 E92E 42FD6 C65 E:56 :D z2C6?:2 3C6G:D Wz] 3C6G:D]X %JA:42==J 7@C>65 @77D9@C6 :? E96 vF=7 @7 |6I:4@[ C65 E:56 7@C>D 4@>>@?=J 2AA62CD :? =2E6 DF>>6C @C 62C=J 72== 2?5 :D 42CC:65 :?E@ 4@2DE2= H2E6CD 3J H:?5D 2?5 4FCC6?ED]k^Am
kAm~?46 :?D9@C6[ E96D6 @AA@CEF?:DE:4 @C82?:D>D FD6 ?62CD9@C6 ?FEC:6?E D@FC46D E@ 7F6= E96:C 8C@HE9] q=@@>D EJA:42==J =2DE :?E@ H:?E6C @C DAC:?8 3FE[ :? D@>6 42D6D[ 42? 6?5FC6 7@C >@C6 E92? @?6 J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 s~w 2=D@ 92D AC642FE:@?D 7@C C6D:56?ED C6=2E65 E@ C65 E:56]k^Am
kAm%96J DF886DE =@@<:?8 7@C :?7@C>2E:@?2= D:8?286 A@DE65 2E >@DE 362496D 2?5 DE2J:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 H2E6C] %9@D6 H:E9 49C@?:4 C6DA:C2E@CJ AC@3=6>D D9@F=5 36 6DA64:2==J 42FE:@FD 2?5 DE2J 2H2J]k^Am
kAmx7 42F89E =:G6 2?5 962=E9J[ 7:?7:D9 2C6 D276 E@ 62E 2D =@?8 2D E96J 2C6 7:==6E65 2?5 E96 8FED 2C6 5:D42C565] #:?D6 7:==6ED H:E9 E2A @C 3@EE=65 H2E6C]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ C64@>>6?5 2G@:5:?8 92CG6DE:?8 @C 62E:?8 >@==FD42? D96==7:D9 @C 5:DEC6DD65 @C 5625 7:D9 7C@> 2 C65 E:56 =@42E:@?] x7 J@F @C J@FC A6ED 92G6 4@>6 :? 4@?E24E H:E9 C65 E:56[ E96J C64@>>6?5 H2D9:?8 J@FC D<:?[ 4=@E9:?8 2?5 A6ED H:E9 D@2A 2?5 7C6D9 H2E6C 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm%@ C6A@CE 7:D9 <:==D[ 4@?E24E E96 u=@C:52 u:D9 2?5 (:=5=:76 #6D62C49 x?DE:EFE6 G:2 E96 u(r #6A@CE6C pAA[ 42== `\g__\ebe\_d``[ @C C6A@CE @?=:?6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>J7H4]4@>^C6D62C49^D2=EH2E6C^962=E9^7:D9\<:==D\9@E=:?6^Qm9EEADi^^>J7H4]4@>^C6D62C49^D2=EH2E6C^962=E9^7:D9\<:==D\9@E=:?6^k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 s~w 2=D@ C64@>>6?5D A6@A=6 C6A@CE DJ>AE@>D 7C@> 6IA@DFC6 E@ 2 92C>7F= 2=82= 3=@@> @C 2?J 2BF2E:4 E@I:? E@ E96 u=@C:52 !@:D@? x?7@C>2E:@? r6?E6C 2E `\g__\aaa\`aaa]k^Am