title: Green and golden seaweed tides on the rise.
abstract: Sudden beaching of huge seaweed masses smother the coastline and form rotting piles on the shore. The number of reports of these events in previously unaffected areas has increased worldwide in recent years. These 'seaweed tides' can harm tourism-based economies, smother aquaculture operations or disrupt traditional artisanal fisheries. Coastal eutrophication is the obvious, ultimate explanation for the increase in seaweed biomass, but the proximate processes that are responsible for individual beaching events are complex and require dedicated study to develop effective mitigation strategies. Harvesting the macroalgae, a valuable raw material, before they beach could well be developed into an effective solution.
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smetacek
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zingone
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D044647:Sargassum / Q000502:physiology*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000502:physiology*; D055871:Tidal Waves; D044445:Ulva / Q000502:physiology*