A massive 5,000-mile-wide seaweed blob – so large it can be seen from outer space – is headed towards Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Scientists say it will begin to rot, emitting toxic fumes, posing a threat to tourism.
The blob is twice the width of the United States and is believed to be the largest in history.
Sargassum is a type of seaweed that has historically formed extensive blooms in the Atlantic Ocean, and researchers have been monitoring massive accumulations since 2011. This year’s sargassum mass could be the most extensive on record, stretching over 5,000 miles from Africa’s coast to the Gulf of Mexico.
The seaweed is presently heading west and is set to traverse the Caribbean before reaching the Gulf of Mexico during the summer.
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