New horror revealed in sargassum blob
(CNS): Scientists have discovered that a flesh-eating bacteria is interacting with sargassum and decaying plastic in the ocean, creating the perfect “pathogen” storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have found that the bacteria might be adapting to plastic and living in sargassum, washing up on beaches in a new environmental horror.
The seaweed has already been washing up on local shores over the last few weeks. Given the current size of the Atlantic sargassum belt, dubbed the “great blob”, as it has grown to reach some 5,500 miles across and is currently moving through our region, we can expect to see much more in the coming months.
It is already a major problem for the tourism sector, as visitors complain about the smell and efforts to get rid of it cause beach erosion. The mass of seaweed doubled every month between November and January, according to the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab, which tracks the mass, and a new record for sargassum was set in the Caribbean Sea in April.
The Vibrio bacteria, which is now colonising the blob, is found in the ocean the world over and already poses a significant threat, but little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with the seaweed and the degrading plastic.
“Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,” said Tracy Mincer, PhD, corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU. “Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.”
The study, published in the journal Water Research, illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up-to-now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonise.
The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Researchers also discovered toxin or “zot” genes, which increase intestinal permeability as the vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
“Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,” said Mincer. “If a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a leaky gut and diarrhoea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such nitrogen and phosphate that could stimulate sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.”
Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an omnivorous lifestyle, targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbour potent opportunistic pathogens.
Importantly, some cultivation-based data show that beached sargassum appears to harbour high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
“I don’t think, at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,” said Mincer. “We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.”
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Category: Health, Medical Health
It is all over the north end of SMB but that is ok. At least we have a beach. Be grateful for small mercies.
Cue in climate change zealot comments…. completely ignoring the real issue: is plastic pollution.
Just wondering, can’t the blob of sargassum be taken from the coastline somehow ? Bulldozer, excavator, suction pumps etc., and then dumped somewhere ? Would it help or ruin the land it is dumped on ? I don’t know the answer but is there some info to clarify options ?
Venture brothers did this already.
Try some chlorine bleach. This chemical kills everything and is recommended by the real President Trump who tested it and recovered to run again.
the Bleach part taken out of context by dumb asses
Effluent sludge of all types is discharged by cruise and commercial ships throughout the Caribbean daily.
It’s the silent toxic secret that’s now kicking our backsides.
Soon we can’t fish or swim!!
Then there was man.
Everything that happens in the world can be traced back to humans. Sad but true
Yea, Christopher Columbus wrote about the Sargassum Sea damn Indians and Islanders causing all this….
“The seaweed has already been washing up on local shores over the last few weeks.”
Which local shores you talking about CNS??
Coz it been washing up in EE, NS, BT since about March
So ’12 recent weeks’?
Sounds like it’s not to be touched with a 10 foot pole, or at the very least while wearing a level 3 suit.
“waste nutrients” – there’s my oxymoron for the day.
Gots to legalize it!
That high grade sargassum
Considering how stink beached Sargassum becomes I am not at all surprised it contains such bacteria and can cause infections.
all thanks to industrialised farming and meat production.
stop eating meat….bad for people, bad for anicmals and terrible for the planet.
been there done that. I only thrive on meat. Nearly died on green smoothies. Besides, millions tons of pesticides, insecticide and all other crap goes into growing “ green” stuff. Millions of bugs, butterflies, small critters die during harvesting.
Human brain needs animal fat to properly function. No agenda can change that.
ok…you will die younger then.
Worry about yourself. ..without animal fat you’ll get Alzheimer early.
and stupider too
I’ll stick to my steaks thanks. Nice try Greta Thunberg…
awesome response!…..zzzzzzzzzzzzz
And where in this article did it mention meat production as part of this problem?
It’s well known that areas such as the Amazon rainforests are being decimated for beef production and its been reported many times that runoff from fertilizers and pesticides are major contributing factors to the sargassum mat.
@8:06:
Runoff from fertilizers and pesticides are not directly associated with the meat industry but certainly associated with large scale commercial plant based agriculture. In other words, vegetarians and vegans are also doing their part to kill the environment.
Maybe humans should do the right thing and just stop eating.
It’s the soy farmers in Brazil who are most to blame.
Humans are Omnivores, what do you suppose happens to a living being that refuses to eat its intended diet? Bit like feeding your cows chicken, isnt it? Damn silly and unhealthy for us to decide we are going to undo millions of years of evolution so we can feel good about eating green, when in reality, we are not going to make a bit of difference when we are faced with industrial pollution etc. Our farts are really not the cause of global warming.
You be a vegan and set an example. While you’re at it, walk to work in sustainable clothes and sandals. Also, don’t use a bicycle, car, public transit or air conditioning. Do this for your entire lifetime and make a difference. Otherwise, you are just a big blowhard hypocrite.
Yet we have been eating meat for thousands of years. You are the product of meat eating ancestors.
Mother Nature strikes back and rightfully so. Mankind is destroying the only known habitable planet.
there are likely to be millions of earth like planets in other galaxy’s
Scientists have estimated that 1 in 5 stars like our Sun has at least one Earth-like planet orbiting around them, which may support life. This could mean that billions of planets that might support life are in our Milky Way galaxy.
But how long would you have to live there to get status?
Good luck getting to one before we all demise.
If this was a real issue hundreds, if not thousands, of people would have already died. Don’t make a habit of eating it or drinking brown sea water and I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Thanks Einstein, It is in the air as well.
And yet I don’t see people dying because of it Einstein.
Death comes slow and when one is on his deathbed it’s not for display.
Truly not drinking brown sea water or eating Sargassum may go a long way to make sure that people don’t get infected by this Vibrio organism at present. A greater concern is a possibility of mutation in this organism, making it to become a real pathogen for human beings which may lead to another emerging human disease. Hence more research and monitoring of the activity of the organism are worth it.
oh boy, here come the vaccine, lockdown nutters again.
Curious how you Trump lover types hate the vaccine and lockdown when Trump was a key figure in both. Seems like a conflict even for the most mushy of minds, no?
#blessed
Trump is a deceiver pretending to be some benevolent hard-done-by.
He pushed Covid and vax just as hard as any of them.
He is a joke of an actor reading his script. His bankrupt backside was bailed out years ago.
He is owned and very, very dangerous.
Look someone is against lockdowns and martial law, attack him because he must be a trump supporter! Don’t listen to what those nutters are saying and why they don’t want lockdowns, laugh at them because they all, without any exceptions, love trump!
Sounds like a post from Blacktip Times.
or the Sargassum Times