The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance.

In May 2020, the Sargassum amount continued to increase across the central Atlantic. Large amount of Sargassum was observed in the Central West Atlantic (CWA, i.e., the region east of the Lesser Antilles in the maps below), the Central East Atlantic (CEA), and most of the Caribbean. Beaching events in some Caribbean islands continued. Sargassum amount also increased in the western Caribbean. In the last week of May, small amount of Sargassum started to enter the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and Florida Straits. In all regions combined, the total amount increased from 5.8 M tons in April to ~ 8.7 M tons in May, similar to May 2015 (8.8M tons) and 2019 (8.2M tons).

Looking ahead, the eastern Caribbean will continue experiencing large amounts of Sargassum in June to August 2020 with many beaching events. The western Caribbean will also experience moderate amounts. This situation is expected to be similar to summer 2015. In June – August, more Sargassum will reach the eastern Gulf of Mexico, enter the Florida Straits, and be transported to the east coast of Florida. We will keep a close eye on how Sargassum in the tropical Atlantic and other regions may evolve in the next two months.

More updates will be provided by the end of June 2020, and more information and imagery can be found from the Sargassum Watch System SaWS, https://optics.marine.usf.edu/projects/saws.html )