[Coral-List] Sargassum

Arlo Hemphill arlo at arlohemphill.com
Fri Aug 12 10:59:27 EDT 2011


Dear Jean-Philippe,

Is there any more information you can share on the fishermen reports of unusual oceanographic conditions? Or is there data, a report or overview on these changes available elsewhere?

I am in 100% agreement with your hypothesis that the influx of Sargassum is more related to changes in oceanography (perhaps climate change induced?) than to a sudden proliferation of the algae.

Best,

Arlo Hemphill

> On 8/10/2011 2:08 PM, OMMM Association wrote:
>> Sargassum species here (Sargassum fluitans probably) are actually 
>> pelagic sargassum that develop at the surface of the water and are 
>> not attached to the substratum. Those algae can bloom in case of 
>> critical amount of nutrient inputs, that might be the cause of the 
>> amount of algae we ahve today. Another reason might be the global 
>> change in the current systems along the Eastern Caribbean that was 
>> not as usual as reported by fishermen in the area. But we would be 
>> interested in looking at the history of this phenomenon as I started 
>> to observe large plates of sargassum by mid May all across the Lesser 
>> Antilles. At this time the algae was not accumulating along the coast of
the islands.
>> 
>> Jean-Philippe
>> 
>> ****************************************************
>> Dr Jean-Philippe Mar?chal, DSci
>> Director
>> Observatoire du Milieu Marin Martiniquais
>> 3 avenue Condorcet
>> 97200 Fort de France
>> Tel : +33 (5) 96 39 42 16
>> http://www.ommm.org

Sent from my iPhone


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