Cuba is dealing with a critical environmental disaster as huge quantities of sargassum seaweed inundate the japanese shoreline of Guantánamo province. In response, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Know-how and Setting (CITMA) has issued a most alert, citing each environmental and public well being dangers.
In keeping with an official assertion from CITMA’s regional delegation, the heavy focus of decomposing sargassum is releasing poisonous gases comparable to hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. These emissions may cause eye, nostril, and throat irritation, together with complications, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory problems — notably amongst people with bronchial asthma or allergic reactions.
The alert additionally warns of potential pores and skin and gastrointestinal infections, because the decaying seaweed hosts dangerous micro organism that may unfold by means of direct contact or contaminated water.
Specialists hyperlink this phenomenon to local weather change, highlighting rising sea temperatures, shifts in ocean currents and wind patterns, and nutrient air pollution (notably nitrogen and phosphorus) as key contributing components.
Native authorities and volunteers — together with college students and school from native medical colleges — have launched cleanup efforts in affected leisure areas like Tortuguilla Seaside. Nonetheless, the scope of the invasion is elevating main issues.
Satellite tv for pc monitoring has revealed an unlimited belt of sargassum drifting throughout the Atlantic. Until dispersed by climate occasions like tropical storms, this yr’s landfall might exceed the report set in 2018, when greater than 522,000 tons reached the Caribbean.
Communities comparable to Baracoa, San Antonio del Sur, Baitiquirí, and El Guanal are already reporting extreme impacts, together with overwhelming odors, respiratory issues, marine life die-offs, and corrosion of metallic infrastructure. The native fishing business and tourism sector are additionally below menace, with little rapid assist out there.
The CITMA has urged residents to keep away from direct contact with the seaweed and to remain knowledgeable by means of official channels.
The place Does the Sargassum Come From?
Traditionally, sargassum reaching the Caribbean has originated from the Sargasso Sea within the North Atlantic. Nevertheless, in recent times, scientists have recognized a brand new supply: the Nice Atlantic Sargassum Belt, stretching from West Africa to Brazil.
Fueled by ocean currents, commerce winds, and nutrient-rich runoff from rivers just like the Amazon and Congo, these huge floating lots journey hundreds of kilometers to achieve the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
As Cuba grapples with the rising scale of the invasion, environmental specialists warn that that is now not a seasonal downside, however a long-term structural difficulty requiring coordinated worldwide motion and pressing mitigation efforts.
Characteristic Picture Credit score: periodicocubano.com
