Rotting sargassum piling up along Key West's shoreline has become such a serious problem that city leaders are now treating the issue as an emergency.
To address the issue, officials are considering a pilot cleanup program, WLRN reported.
Here's what to know
The trial cleanup would cover about a half-mile on the city's southern Atlantic side, giving officials a chance to study removal options before deciding whether to pursue a larger intervention, according to WLRN.
City commissioners have approved bringing in scientific and environmental consultants to determine whether a sargassum removal effort is workable. That action does not authorize construction or establish a permanent removal system.
For now, the city is in an information-gathering stage focused on the pilot area. Any decision to move forward with an actual project would still have to come back to the commission for another vote.
Sam Kaufman, the mayor of Key West, sponsored the measure. He said the issue should be addressed urgently.
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"We've heard that this is an emergency health problem for our residents," Kaufman said, per WLRN.
Other communities along the Florida coast also have been experiencing problems as large amounts of sargassum have been washing ashore and rotting on local beaches.
More background
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Sargassum is a genus of large brown seaweed (a type of algae) that floats in island-like masses and never attaches to the seafloor."
While sargassum serves important ecological functions, such as providing food and shelter for various marine life, it can wreak havoc on local communities when large amounts wash onto beaches and begin to rot.
In Key West, the issue has added significance because shoreline conditions can affect both residents and the city's tourism-based economy.
"We've heard that this is an emergency economic potential problem for our tourist industry," Kaufman said, according to WLRN. "If we don't start now, we're not gonna be in place to do something by next spring, so the whole intent of this is just to get us as a commission united behind moving in this direction."
Before any cleanup begins, the city plans to consult scientific and environmental experts, and any approach would have to account for both public complaints about odor and beach conditions and the practical and ecological issues tied to removing material from the shoreline.
What's being done?
The measure assigns consultants the task of evaluating whether a removal project is feasible, giving the city its first formal assessment of whether that half-mile pilot could work in practice.
The measure also directs the Key West city manager to seek grants and identify possible funding partners for the effort. The city is looking beyond local dollars, as it explores ways to fund what could be a costly endeavor.
Because commissioners have not approved construction or the installation of a removal system, residents and city leaders will have another chance to consider the costs, science, and logistics before any physical work starts.
Where can I learn more?
These stories take a closer look at the sargassum affecting Florida beaches and coastal communities. They cover the massive seaweed bloom nearing the state, pressure on sea turtle habitat, and other beach and water-quality problems affecting Florida shores.
• A blob of seaweed thousands of miles long is threatening Florida's coastline.
• On Sanibel and Captiva, record sargassum looms over sea turtle nesting season.
• In Florida, water looks like root beer as red tide returns.
• Near Panama City Beach, high fecal bacteria levels triggered warnings at three beaches.
• Residents started cleaning up trash on a beach after officials failed to act.
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