Story perspectives
Study Links Phosphorus Upwelling to Sargassum Blooms Growth
11/15/2025
23 4
1 of 1
Story summary
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry researchers link upwelling of phosphorus-rich water and cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation to Caribbean Sargassum blooms.
- By June 2025, roughly 38 million tons of Sargassum had accumulated along coastlines.
- Researchers analyzed coral cores to link nitrogen fixation rates with algal growth over 120 years.
- Cooler sea temperatures and wind patterns influence phosphorus supply, increasing Sargassum growth.
