Seaweeds at Punta Cana Coast

Relaxing on a white-sand beach with a cold drink or chasing fish in the crystal-clear sea water is always my family's favorite vacation. We spent summer vacation this year at Barcelo Bavaro in Punta Cana. Enjoying the beach and nice weather as always, we noticed an issue within the waters. The shore was covered in seaweed.

The amount of seaweeds varied from day to day, however there was a constant abundance. Although the resort staff worked hard to clean the seaweed, it was an impossible mission to clear it all away. Trucks and people worked hard everyday to clear out as much as possible but it would just grow all back overnight. I searched for the reason behind this seemingly endless growth. A website mentioned the cause to be due to rising ocean temperature. All ecosystem change could be a result of global warming. I think this is related to deforestation and the overuse of fertilizer.

https://islandinnovation.co/caribbean-seaweed-problem-costing-millions/

While global climate change became prominent in 1990 and the fertilizer usage increased gradually, the seaweed issue in the Caribbean coasts became a noticeable issue starting in 2011. The ecosystem is vulnerable and sometimes it is too late when we notice these changes.