Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic
Since 2011, pelagic sargassum blooms (<i>S. fluitans</i> and <i>S. natans)</i> have impacted coastal communities, aquaculture, tourism, and biodiversity across the Tropical Atlantic region. Whilst the initial event is generally attributed to an anomalous North Atlantic Oscill...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/17 |
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| author | Yanna Alexia Fidai Jadu Dash Emma Tompkins Donatus Yaw Atiglo Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah Winnie Naa Adjorkor Sowah Kwasi Appeaning Addo |
| author_facet | Yanna Alexia Fidai Jadu Dash Emma Tompkins Donatus Yaw Atiglo Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah Winnie Naa Adjorkor Sowah Kwasi Appeaning Addo |
| author_sort | Yanna Alexia Fidai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since 2011, pelagic sargassum blooms (<i>S. fluitans</i> and <i>S. natans)</i> have impacted coastal communities, aquaculture, tourism, and biodiversity across the Tropical Atlantic region. Whilst the initial event is generally attributed to an anomalous North Atlantic Oscillation (2009–2010), the drivers of sargassum movement and proliferation remain unclear. This research gap is particularly evident in West Africa, where annual and seasonal sargassum variability is under-researched, and a lack of consensus exists on seasonal and annual trends. This paper addresses these gaps by (1) providing a first attempt at characterising the seasonal and annual trends of sargassum biomass in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic, through using satellite imagery to create a time-series for 2011–2022; and (2) exploring the hypothetical drivers of movement and proliferation of sargassum for this area, through assessing its co-variation with potential drivers including atmospheric, oceanic, and policy, establishing a historical timeline of events. The time-series analysis reveals an annual biomass peak in September and a second peak between March and May. The exploration of potential drivers reveals that alongside sea surface temperature there are multiple factors that could be influencing sargassum biomass, and that further research is necessary to clarify primary and secondary drivers. The results contribute to understanding drivers, impacts, and predictions of sargassum blooms in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. We anticipate that our findings will enable sargassum-affected areas to better anticipate the size and timing of sargassum events in West Africa and offer researchers a new perspective on possible drivers of proliferation within the wider Tropical Atlantic region. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78707c5c055d4e198a67b510fc8e5f75 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-9410 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Phycology |
| spelling | doaj-art-78707c5c055d4e198a67b510fc8e5f752025-08-20T02:21:46ZengMDPI AGPhycology2673-94102025-05-01521710.3390/phycology5020017Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical AtlanticYanna Alexia Fidai0Jadu Dash1Emma Tompkins2Donatus Yaw Atiglo3Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah4Winnie Naa Adjorkor Sowah5Kwasi Appeaning Addo6Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UKSchool of Geography and Environmental Science, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKSchool of Geography and Environmental Science, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKRegional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 96, GhanaInstitute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 209, GhanaDepartment of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 99, GhanaInstitute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 209, GhanaSince 2011, pelagic sargassum blooms (<i>S. fluitans</i> and <i>S. natans)</i> have impacted coastal communities, aquaculture, tourism, and biodiversity across the Tropical Atlantic region. Whilst the initial event is generally attributed to an anomalous North Atlantic Oscillation (2009–2010), the drivers of sargassum movement and proliferation remain unclear. This research gap is particularly evident in West Africa, where annual and seasonal sargassum variability is under-researched, and a lack of consensus exists on seasonal and annual trends. This paper addresses these gaps by (1) providing a first attempt at characterising the seasonal and annual trends of sargassum biomass in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic, through using satellite imagery to create a time-series for 2011–2022; and (2) exploring the hypothetical drivers of movement and proliferation of sargassum for this area, through assessing its co-variation with potential drivers including atmospheric, oceanic, and policy, establishing a historical timeline of events. The time-series analysis reveals an annual biomass peak in September and a second peak between March and May. The exploration of potential drivers reveals that alongside sea surface temperature there are multiple factors that could be influencing sargassum biomass, and that further research is necessary to clarify primary and secondary drivers. The results contribute to understanding drivers, impacts, and predictions of sargassum blooms in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. We anticipate that our findings will enable sargassum-affected areas to better anticipate the size and timing of sargassum events in West Africa and offer researchers a new perspective on possible drivers of proliferation within the wider Tropical Atlantic region.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/17atmosphericmacroalgaeoceanicpolicyremote sensingtrends |
| spellingShingle | Yanna Alexia Fidai Jadu Dash Emma Tompkins Donatus Yaw Atiglo Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah Winnie Naa Adjorkor Sowah Kwasi Appeaning Addo Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic Phycology atmospheric macroalgae oceanic policy remote sensing trends |
| title | Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic |
| title_full | Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic |
| title_fullStr | Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic |
| title_short | Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic |
| title_sort | sargassum biomass movement and proliferation in the eastern tropical atlantic |
| topic | atmospheric macroalgae oceanic policy remote sensing trends |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/17 |
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