A new study by Florida Atlantic University has found that flesh-eating bacteria is sticking to sargassum seaweed and plastic marine debris, creating a pathogen storm affecting public health and marine life.
According to the FAU study, this bacteria, called vibrio, is the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment and is found on sargassum seaweed.
A massive 5,000-mile long sargassum bloom more than 300 miles wide is expected to unleash even more seaweed onto Florida beaches in June.
The bacteria can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from seafood consumption, and disease and death from open wound infections.
One of the researchers in the study, Tracy Mincer, said this bacteria is not only sticking to sargassum but also plastic debris.
Mincer says the dried seaweed is even more of a risk, especially to animals.
“When the seaweed starts drying, stay on the shore, the vibrio numbers even go up more, and feeding this to an animal directly without some kind of sanitation process could be a bad idea,” said Mincer.