Most seaweed ever? Memorial Day could foreshadow another record for sargassum

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]a very large amount of seaweed on our beach this summer. It's like a line in the sand, literally. Because when you come to the beach now, you have to decide, are you going to lay out in front of or behind what scientists are once again saying has the potential to be a record amount of seaweed on our beaches. I'm your Cape Canaveral community correspondent, James Sparo.

[00:00:19]So, tell me what you're doing right now with this rake.

[00:00:21]>> I'm just trying to rake some seaweed up, get a nice little spot for our family.

[00:00:26]And I've never seen anyone around Harbor Heights raking seaweed before, but like Jessica Kinchin told me, this is more than the last few years.

[00:00:33]>> There's probably what, 15, 20 ft of it all the way down the beach. Definitely the most I've ever seen.

[00:00:38]>> The highest amount we've ever recorded.

[00:00:41]>> That's what USF professor Dr. Brian Barnes told us last year about how much of this seaweed was floating in the ocean. I checked in with Dr. Brian again just now, and he told me this summer will likely be just as much or even more than last year's record. and it starts to smell pretty bad.

[00:00:57]>> Even so, Brevard County says it doesn't remove the seaweed because animals like birds and crabs eat the little sea creatures that live in it. James Gillis talked to me about more natural benefits to our environment.

[00:01:08]>> I definitely think it's a positive impact for keeping the sand where it is, where we want it. I would take some temporary discomfort for some long-term benefits.

[00:01:17]>> And believe it or not, this was news to me. There's some scientists who think you might be able to actually eat this seaweed. Now, I'm not trying to tell you to taste it for yourself, but if you want to see the new study that looks into whether this could be food for humans, I've got that on clickorlando.com.

[00:01:34]In Bvard County, I'm your Cape Canaveral community correspondent, James Barvo, News 6.