Sargassum Tracker

USF OOL Long Term Outlook

Feb 28, 2026
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As predicted last month, Sargassum continued to increase in most regions, including the Western Caribbean, Western Atlantic, and Eastern Atlantic. In the Gulf and Eastern Caribbean, the total amount remained stable. With the exception of the Eastern Atlantic, all regions recorded their highest February Sargassum levels on record. The distribution map continues to show three separate large masses in the Eastern Atlantic, Western Atlantic, and Western Caribbean. Beaching events likely persisted in parts of the Western Caribbean, including Belize, Honduras, and the Mexican Caribbean coast. Some islands in the Lesser Antilles may also have experienced increased Sargassum accumulation along their windward shores.

Looking ahead: Sargassum levels are expected to rise in most regions over the coming month. The Western Caribbean and the windward side of the Lesser Antilles are likely to continue experiencing beaching events, while levels in the Gulf are expected to remain low. Due to continuous growth from November through February and record-high levels in most regions, 2026 is shaping up to be another major Sargassum year (i.e., total abundance exceeding 75% of historical values). All previous monthly bulletins as well as daily imagery can be found under the Sargassum Watch System (SaWS).

SARGASSUM ABUNDANCE INTENSITY

Details

Since 2011, large amounts of Sargassum seaweed appeared in the Caribbean Sea every summer except 2013, creating many environmental, ecological and economic problems in many regions. The seaweed originated from the tropical Atlantic, and is believed to be a result of climate variability and other natural and unnatural processes. Based on satellite observations and statistics of historical events, in early February 2018 the Optical Oceanography Lab developed the first 1-page Sargassum outlook bulletin for the Caribbean Sea. Since then, the bulletins have been generated and distributed to subscribers by the last day of the month. These monthly bulletins as well as further readings are available at the Sargassum Watch System (SaWS).

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Disclaimer

The information bulletin is meant to provide a general outlook of current bloom condition and future bloom probability for the Caribbean Sea. By no means should it be used for commercial purpose, or used for predicting bloom conditions for a specific location or beach. The authors of this bulletin, as well as Caricoos, USF and NASA, take no responsibility for improper use or interpretation of the bulletin. Any use of the image, data, or graph from this bulletin page in reports or publications should obtain permission from the USF OOL group.