Lantana’s policy is to leave sargassum alone, but the record amount forecast prompted the town to seek expert input on whether to rake its beach (above). Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
Related: Along the Coast: Record seaweed levels headed our way
By Mary Thurwachter
It’s that time of year again when beachgoers arrive at the Lantana shoreline to find large swaths of seaweed blanketing the sand. It leaves little, if any, space to park a chair or spread a beach blanket.
Called sargassum, the golden-brown seaweed is unsightly, smelly and sends many would-be sunbathers to nearby, more frequently raked beaches such as in Lake Worth Beach or alongside Boynton Beach.
Lantana has been grappling with the problem for years and it’s getting worse.
The town’s long-standing policy has been to limit raking and not to remove sargassum. The thinking has been that seaweed was essential for marine life, kept replacement sand on beaches and provided nutrients to plants on dunes.
But leaders may have different ideas now with newcomer Jesse Rivero on the Town Council. Rivero defeated 21-year incumbent Council member Lynn “Doc” Moorhouse in the March election and is very pro-raking. In April, he asked that the town reconsider its raking policy and for the topic to be put on a future agenda.
Sargassum removal will be an agenda item at the town’s June 9 meeting, but in advance of that, Town Manager Brian Raducci invited Marc Fichtner, the town’s marine safety supervisor, to talk about the problem at the council’s May 12 meeting.
Fichtner is at the beach almost daily, talks to beachgoers and has firsthand knowledge of conditions, Raducci said. And Fichtner has consulted with experts.
“We’re seeing an increase in sargassum at Lantana Beach,” Fichtner said. “It kind of disproportionately affects us because we’ve got 750 feet of beach and you’ve got the high tide mark at 10 to 15 yards wide at a max,” leaving only a thin strip for sunbathers, he said. “We’ve been getting increasing complaints from patrons on the beach. I just wanted to let you all know what I researched and what I came up with.”
Fichtner had spoken with Dr. Brian LaPointe, a research professor at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, who said 14 million tons of sargassum is expected in the Caribbean this year.
“It’s the most there’s ever been on record,” Fichtner said. “At some point, whether that’s June, July or August, it’s going to hit our beach.”
Fichtner said erosion wouldn’t be much of a problem because the dunes in Lantana are behind the sea walls. What would be a serious concern, however, would be the bacteria that form from rotting sargassum. “One of the biggest things with that is hydrogen sulfide and ammonia produced by decomposing sargassum, which is toxic to animals and people as well,” Fichtner said.
Raking the beach could prevent that, he said.
Sargassum can trap small sea turtles and removing it decreases the mortality of hatchlings, he said.
“Raking also removes litter and pollutants that get caught up in the sargassum, which is one of the big issues we’ve been having,” he said. “We get a lot of trash in the sargassum.
It also increases beach usability, limits insect infestation and prevents small turtles from exposure to toxic gases.”
As long as the town has proper permits and secures the go-ahead from sea turtle experts, the process can be started, Fichtner said. “It’s doable. It’s sustainable. It doesn’t have much of a — or any — negative impact on the beach.”
Mayor Karen Lythgoe said she thought the council was in favor of doing something about the problem.
“It is very controversial,” Lythgoe said. “It’s always been happening, and it always will. There are some downsides to it.”
She asked Raducci to find out what raking would cost on an “as needed basis,” and what kind of disposal would be best.
Vice Mayor Kem Mason said something needs to be done. “This will only get worse,” he said. “It’s been growing for 20 years. The problem is not going away.”
Rivero, a fireman with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue based in Manalapan, said he is 100% for raking as often as weekly during the summer.
“I go walking on the beach regularly,” he said. “It’s very therapeutic and it keeps me in good shape. I just see throughout the season what’s going on and that (not raking) is not doing any good for the beach. Aesthetically and health wise, everything would be so much better for everybody” if the beach were raked during the summer months.
Comments