This Ocean Monster Offers a Potential Climate Solution
Tons of stinky seaweed are suffocating Caribbean beaches, but some see carbon-removal potential in the problem.
Beachgoers walk past seaweed that washed ashore on the beach at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
There’s a sea monster lurking in the Atlantic Ocean that could help save the planet.
Weighing about 10 million pounds, this golden-brown creature is harmless enough floating in the sea — but if it lands on a beach, you’re in serious trouble. Washing up as a thick, tangled mass of tentacles, it smothers delicate coral reefs and precious mangroves. When it starts to rot, it scares away tourists, not only blocking access to pristine sandy beaches, but releasing a toxic gas called hydrogen sulfide, with an ungodly stench of rotten eggs. The gas is irritating and can cause breathing problems.