If you’re planning a trip to one of South Florida's many beaches this summer, there's a growing concern to be aware of: a giant floating blob of seaweed.
While sargassum seaweed is not unusual for the Atlantic Ocean, Professor Chuanmin Hu from the University of South Florida told NBC affiliate WPTV-TV that it’s the size of the bloom — about 1,100 square miles — that could potentially make this year’s arrival record-setting.
"It's big for this time of year," Hu said. "It's really big. It's bigger than 2018."
The smell from the sargassum has been likened to "rotten eggs," and Hu said that the pungent odor can be irritating for beachgoers, especially those with breathing conditions like asthma.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"People like to gripe about it," said Doug Yoakum, a lifeguard on Lake Worth Beach. "It'll start stinking, and there's a lot of stuff that lives in it, little fish, jellyfish."
Some cities, such as Lake Worth Beach, have hired a firm that rakes the dried seaweed and buries it to strengthen dunes.
The blob is expected to arrive on South Florida beaches this June.
