Miami Battles Record Sargassum Influx with Cleanup and Bioconversion Research

During the summer of 2026, Miami-Dade County’s beaches were inundated by unprecedented volumes of sargassum, a floating brown algae. The county’s parks, recreation and open spaces department, led by chief of conservation Chris Bumpus, is tasked with clearing the seaweed from 17 miles (27 km) of shoreline. In July alone, crews removed 9,000 tons—the highest single-month total on record. Heavy equipment is barred from use during sea-turtle nesting hours (30 minutes before sunset until sunrise) under a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Miami Faces Ecosystem Crisis as 9,000 Tons of Seaweed Invade Beaches The GuardianScientists turn to nature’s recycling insects to solve Florida’s seaweed problem Tuesday’s Afternoon Update Earth.com

The “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt” first appeared in 2011 and has since expanded from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Biomass has doubled roughly every five years, reaching 33.5 million tons this summer, second only to 38 million tons in 2025. Researchers link the growth to warmer ocean temperatures, increased evaporation and heightened riverine runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus from major basins.

The Guardian

• 9,000 tons removed in July 2026.

Miami Faces Ecosystem Crisis as 9,000 Tons of Seaweed Invade Beaches

• $3 million annually spent, funded by tourist development taxes.

Tuesday’s Afternoon Update

• ?700 sea-turtle nests documented this season.

Miami Faces Ecosystem Crisis as 9,000 Tons of Seaweed Invade Beaches

• 17 miles of shoreline under active management.

Miami Faces Ecosystem Crisis as 9,000 Tons of Seaweed Invade Beaches

County officials stress protecting nesting turtles while keeping beaches open for tourism. Bumpus noted clean conditions often last only an hour before new mats arrive. Research professor Brian LaPointe (Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch) explained that warmer oceans boost evaporation, fueling extreme rain events that flush nutrients into the sea, feeding sargassum blooms. He warned that ashore deposits degrade coral reefs, seagrass beds and create low-oxygen “dead zones.”

The Guardian

At the University of Miami, aquaculture program director Daniel Benetti described a shift from treating sargassum as waste to converting it into feed, fertilizer and other bio-based products, aiming to reduce disposal costs and create a circular coastal economy.

Earth.com

Researchers at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School are testing black-soldier-fly larvae (BSFL) as a bioconversion platform. Supported by more than $320,000 in seed grants from Florida Sea Grant and the Hinkley Center, the project processes beached sargassum into protein-rich larvae for aquaculture feed and nutrient-dense frass for fertilizer. Engineering professor Helena Soto-Gabriele is evaluating the larvae’s ability to remove arsenic—a contaminant sometimes concentrated in sargassum—before the biomass enters downstream markets.

Scientists turn to nature’s recycling insects to solve Florida’s seaweed problem Earth.comThe GuardianMiami Faces Ecosystem Crisis as 9,000 Tons of Seaweed Invade Beaches

Decomposition of dense sargassum piles releases hydrogen sulfide gas, a respiratory irritant, raising health concerns for beachgoers and nearby residents. The seaweed also smothers coral reefs and seagrass beds, diminishing fish habitat and threatening the multi-billion-dollar tourism sector that depends on pristine beaches.

Scientists turn to nature’s recycling insects to solve Florida’s seaweed problem

Laboratory studies show BSFL can reduce pathogen loads and limit arsenic transfer, but field trials with actual beached sargassum have not yet been completed. Consequently, the safety and economic viability of large-scale bioconversion remain unproven.

Earth.com

• “Back in July, the beach looked clean for about an hour,” — Chris Bumpus

The Guardian

• “We’re turning an environmental burden into coastal value solution” — Daniel Benetti, aquaculture program director

Scientists turn to nature’s recycling insects to solve Florida’s seaweed problem