Sargassum biomass movement and proliferation in the eastern tropical atlantic
Sargassum biomass movement and proliferation in the eastern tropical atlantic
Since 2011, pelagic sargassum blooms (S. fluitans and S. natans) have impacted coastal communities, aquaculture, tourism, and biodiversity across the Tropical Atlantic region. Whilst the initial event is generally attributed to an anomalous North Atlantic Oscillation (2009–2010), the drivers of sargassum movement and proliferation remain unclear. This research gap is particularly evident in West Africa, where annual and seasonal sargassum variability is under-researched, and a lack of consensus exists on seasonal and annual trends. This paper addresses these gaps by (1) providing a first attempt at characterising the seasonal and annual trends of sargassum biomass in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic, through using satellite imagery to create a time-series for 2011–2022; and (2) exploring the hypothetical drivers of movement and proliferation of sargassum for this area, through assessing its co-variation with potential drivers including atmospheric, oceanic, and policy, establishing a historical timeline of events. The time-series analysis reveals an annual biomass peak in September and a second peak between March and May. The exploration of potential drivers reveals that alongside sea surface temperature there are multiple factors that could be influencing sargassum biomass, and that further research is necessary to clarify primary and secondary drivers. The results contribute to understanding drivers, impacts, and predictions of sargassum blooms in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. We anticipate that our findings will enable sargassum-affected areas to better anticipate the size and timing of sargassum events in West Africa and offer researchers a new perspective on possible drivers of proliferation within the wider Tropical Atlantic region.
West Africa, atmospheric, macroalgae, oceanic, policy, remote sensing, trends
Fidai, Yanna Alexia
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Dash, Jadu
51468afb-3d56-4d3a-aace-736b63e9fac8
Tompkins, Emma
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Atiglo, Donatus Yaw
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Jayson-Quashigah, Philip-Neri
86caa2a2-ad16-4572-960b-117989e3be66
Sowah, Winnie Naa Adjorkor
31f93923-2e25-4364-821f-757f81a03436
Addo, Kwasi Appeaning
0c43750e-79dd-4e50-bae8-8cc016499b63
2 May 2025
Fidai, Yanna Alexia
941762b1-5865-4263-9b51-268e9ce148a5
Dash, Jadu
51468afb-3d56-4d3a-aace-736b63e9fac8
Tompkins, Emma
a6116704-7140-4e37-bea1-2cbf39b138c3
Atiglo, Donatus Yaw
44c54ec7-b39a-45c0-8387-7b5e32a04aa8
Jayson-Quashigah, Philip-Neri
86caa2a2-ad16-4572-960b-117989e3be66
Sowah, Winnie Naa Adjorkor
31f93923-2e25-4364-821f-757f81a03436
Addo, Kwasi Appeaning
0c43750e-79dd-4e50-bae8-8cc016499b63
Fidai, Yanna Alexia, Dash, Jadu, Tompkins, Emma, Atiglo, Donatus Yaw, Jayson-Quashigah, Philip-Neri, Sowah, Winnie Naa Adjorkor and Addo, Kwasi Appeaning
(2025)
Sargassum biomass movement and proliferation in the eastern tropical atlantic.
Phycology, 5 (2), [17].
(doi:10.3390/phycology5020017).
Abstract
Since 2011, pelagic sargassum blooms (S. fluitans and S. natans) have impacted coastal communities, aquaculture, tourism, and biodiversity across the Tropical Atlantic region. Whilst the initial event is generally attributed to an anomalous North Atlantic Oscillation (2009–2010), the drivers of sargassum movement and proliferation remain unclear. This research gap is particularly evident in West Africa, where annual and seasonal sargassum variability is under-researched, and a lack of consensus exists on seasonal and annual trends. This paper addresses these gaps by (1) providing a first attempt at characterising the seasonal and annual trends of sargassum biomass in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic, through using satellite imagery to create a time-series for 2011–2022; and (2) exploring the hypothetical drivers of movement and proliferation of sargassum for this area, through assessing its co-variation with potential drivers including atmospheric, oceanic, and policy, establishing a historical timeline of events. The time-series analysis reveals an annual biomass peak in September and a second peak between March and May. The exploration of potential drivers reveals that alongside sea surface temperature there are multiple factors that could be influencing sargassum biomass, and that further research is necessary to clarify primary and secondary drivers. The results contribute to understanding drivers, impacts, and predictions of sargassum blooms in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. We anticipate that our findings will enable sargassum-affected areas to better anticipate the size and timing of sargassum events in West Africa and offer researchers a new perspective on possible drivers of proliferation within the wider Tropical Atlantic region.
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phycology-05-00017
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 April 2025
Published date: 2 May 2025
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© 2025 by the authors.
Keywords:
West Africa, atmospheric, macroalgae, oceanic, policy, remote sensing, trends
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506471
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506471
ISSN: 2673-9410
PURE UUID: e7519592-c7d9-45b9-9a0e-4a742d08ae6a
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Date deposited: 07 Nov 2025 18:05
Last modified: 08 Nov 2025 02:45
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Contributors
Author:
Donatus Yaw Atiglo
Author:
Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah
Author:
Winnie Naa Adjorkor Sowah
Author:
Kwasi Appeaning Addo
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