Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

We\'re not
going back!

(=^.^=)

~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
FUCK
DONALD
TRUMP

(=^.^=)
~~~~~~~~
3.1415926535
897932384626
433832795028
841971693993
751058209749
445923078164
062862089986
$ $ $
MONEY
DOES NOT
EQUAL
SPEECH
$ $ $
*****
THE BEST
DEMOCRACY
MONEY CAN
BUY!!
*****
We\'re #1

Who knew?
So many
good Germans
in our party
:-(
Check out
all the stickies
on Grovelbot's
Big Board!
5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Sargassum invasion in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (Original Post) malaise Jul 12 OP
DANGER: Stay away from sargassum rotting on the beach! It may release DEADLY hydrogen sulfide gas. eppur_se_muova Jul 12 #1
Very important malaise Jul 12 #2
I was in Punta Cana in late May, and there was quite a bit of it on the beach at times...... marmar Jul 12 #3
This is not hyperbole. RexLipton Jul 12 #4
Yep malaise Jul 12 #5

eppur_se_muova

(39,753 posts)
1. DANGER: Stay away from sargassum rotting on the beach! It may release DEADLY hydrogen sulfide gas.
Sat Jul 12, 2025, 09:36 AM
Jul 12

To clarify: the green algae Ulva, aka "sea lettuce" (it is edible) is well established as a source of H2S. But "golden tides" of Sargassum may be competing with Ulva as the temperature rises, favoring the latter, which is known to be deadly.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1464511/full

https://phys.org/news/2009-08-horse-dies-france-reality-toxic.html

The video mentions "toxic gases", without specifying what they are, which is unfortunate, perhaps dangerously so. H2S stinks horribly, so normally it's hard to get close enough to get a fatal dosage, but its high toxicity is often underappreciated. Prolonged exposure can "numb" the olfactory bulb so that the smell becomes more tolerable, increasing the risk of lethal exposure. It can penetrate neoprene diving suits, and be absorbed through the skin, as well.

marmar

(78,788 posts)
3. I was in Punta Cana in late May, and there was quite a bit of it on the beach at times......
Sat Jul 12, 2025, 10:57 AM
Jul 12

..... and the smell was awful.


RexLipton

(100 posts)
4. This is not hyperbole.
Sat Jul 12, 2025, 11:16 AM
Jul 12

I live in an affected area.

At its worst, it’s like living next to raw sewage.

On better days, it’s like living next to a horse stable.

Sargassum has been a problem for years but this year it’s particularly bad.

I’m glad that it’s getting some press.

malaise

(288,127 posts)
5. Yep
Sat Jul 12, 2025, 11:29 AM
Jul 12

It’s horrible and getting worse. Had to keep visiting family out of the water on the South Coast.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Latin America»The Sargassum invasion i...