For over ten years a wide mat of seaweed has been floating in the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Gulf of Mexico. It's a kind of algae that blooms in the spring/summer, kind of harmless but very much a nuisance.
Beaches in Mexico have piled up with it, then it rots, then it smells and turns vacation destinations into disgusting destinations that tourists want to avoid - a big clean-up challenge when it lands on beaches.
Well, it's not entirely harmless. Underwater machinery gets clogged, it can choke corals, and it may trigger respiratory problems.
This year's bloom is expected to be huge, which is saying something. It's already been more than 5,000 miles long and can be seen from space.
from NBC News
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