Sargassum
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Sargassum is a collection of seaweed and other plant material often washed ashore by ocean currents. At high tide, sargassum is typically covered with seawater. At low tide, the water recedes, leaving the plant matter to bake and ferment in the sun, providing a good breeding ground for small insects and bacteria. Due to the high levels of bacteria and heat, the sargassum often emits a foul smell and is quite mushy.
The Florida Keys and its smaller islands are well known for their high levels of sargassum covering their shores.
The Sargassum plants are generally brown or dark green in colour. Tissues are differentiated into holdfast, stipes, fronds and fruiting bodies. Some species have gas-filled bladders. Some species may also grow to a length of several metres. These are common in the beach drift of beaches near Sargassum beds.
Sargassum species are found throughout tropical areas of the world and are often the most obvious macrophyte in near-shore areas where Sargassum beds often occur near coral reefs. The plants grow subtidally and attach to coral, rocks or shells in moderately exposed or sheltered rocky or pebble areas. In some cases (e.g. Sargasso Sea) there are floating populations of sargassum.
