Summer in South Florida seems to take forever to end.
Kids may be back in school, the autumnal equinox may be just a few weeks away and Halloween pop-up stores may already be open for business, but summer’s muggy, sweltering days still cling to us li
A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling struggles to make its way over a thick bed of sargassum in late July at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Jan Norris
Poor babies! Turtles, that is.
Hatchlings are crawling out f
‘Major’ sargassum buildup could also put crimp in turtle season‘s fast start
Beachgoers in Lantana struggle to find seaweed-free spots to set up chairs or put down blankets in late May. Piles of sargassum washed ashore in South County, with a record
Nests took a beating from surf. Earlier, hundreds of hatchlings were rescued from sargassum. Still, it’s been a good year overall.
Rebecca Germany, sea turtle conservation assistant at Gumbo Limbo, hammers a stake back in the sand in Boca Raton on A
A heavy buildup of sargassum created less-than-picture-perfect conditions for visitors to Lantana’s beach park in July. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Mary Thurwachter
Lantana Town Council members have revised the town’s beach cleaning directive to
Sargassum inundated South County’s shoreline and, as seen here at South Beach Park, more kept washing ashore — creating a barrier for surfers and swimmers to cross to get to the ocean from the beach. Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star
Sargassum piles up on Lantana's town beach in May. File photo/The Coastal Star
By Mary Thurwachter
Although Lantana hasn’t formally given the green light to raking sargassum off its beach, the town appears to be headed in that direction — but the ear
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
Related: Lantana: Council to consider allowing sargassum removal from town beach
Don’t be surprised if seaweed starts showing up on south Palm Beach County beaches in even greater piles than have already been washing ashore this year.
The amount of s
Students attending Waves Surf Academy’s camp at Delray Breakers on the Ocean keep cool while combing sargassum for sea critters. From left are Jenna Miranda, Delray Beach, Hazel Aurelien, Boynton Beach, Mason Miranda, Delray Beach, Mary Junghans, Mon
Nathan Hecker fishes from the beach in Gulf Stream as Clayton Peart, president of Universal Beach Services Corp., rakes and buries sargassum. He has a contract with private property owners. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Jane Musgrave
When Tom Fitz
Will we have a repeat of last summer? August 2022 staff file photo
By Larry Barszewski
Sea turtles aren’t the only things returning to south Palm Beach County beaches this year.
So is seaweed. Lots and lots of it.
Not since Jaws has so much attention
I just received your September issue and was shocked to read your front-page article on “Suffering summer of sargassum” full of inaccurate information. I and South Florida would appreciate the honest truth be published regarding our beaches and sarga
Winds from the east this summer have pushed a nearly constant supply of sargassum onto the beach, challenging beachgoers like Debby Belmonte of Ocean Ridge. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
Seasonal inundation is here to stay, scientists say
By Larry Ba
A steady breeze from the east for at least a week piled up mounds of sargassum along the shore in mid-May. Warm temperatures make the naturally occurring seaweed reproduce in large numbers, often to the frustration of beach-goers. ABOVE: A resident p
A steady breeze from the east for at least a week piled up mounds of sargassum along the shore in mid-May. Warm temperatures make the naturally occurring seaweed reproduce in large numbers, often to the frustration of beach-goers. ABOVE: A resident p
Mounds of naturally occurring sargassum are upsetting some of the visitors to Lantana’s beach. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Mary Thurwachter
It’s that time of year again, when sargassum blankets the beach, encroaching on beachgoers’ space. It’s no
ABOVE: Doug O’Neal and Chris Deen hold a 30-pound bull dolphinfish, or mahi mahi, that Deen caught using a live goggle-eye near a large sargassum mat off Palm Beach in July 2019. Mahi mahi fishing tends to be good during July and August in the waters
Influx may be ‘new normal,’ force beachgoers to adapt
Clayton Peart of Universal Beach Services rakes sargassum into the sand on Delray Beach’s beach. The sargassum, which began to arrive in February, helps preserve the beach and protect and nourish
Sargassum blankets the boat ramp at Sportsman’s Park in Lantana. The marine algae made it difficult for boat-towing vehicles to get traction. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star
By Willie Howard
Like it or not, the floating marine algae called sargassum
