Researchers in Florida receive grant to study sargassum and its potential uses

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — In recent weeks, Central Florida beaches have seemingly had a reprieve from brown blobs of seaweed known as sargassum.

However, more than 13 million tons of that seaweed is still floating out in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Researchers from Florida Tech have recently secured a grant to study the sargassum and are taking it back to the lab in hopes of finding new uses for it.

The researchers are working on ways to convert the seaweed into a material that can be used for water filtration.

Read: More sargassum seaweed expected to arrive at Brevard County beaches

Sargassum can provide a valuable habitat for sea creatures but too much can be detrimental both in the ocean and on shore.

“Because of global warming and ocean pollution in recent years, there’s more and more sargassum coming our way,” said Florida Tech Assistant Professor Toufiq Reza. “It usually rots over the beach it produces odor and some other chemicals.”

Read: What is sargassum, the 5,000-mile-long mat of seaweed heading toward Florida?

Florida tech researchers received a $400,000 EPA grant to examine different uses for sargassum.

Dr. Reza said the seaweed has already shown promise for its potential use in water filtration.

Read: Massive seaweed invasion arrives at Florida beaches, could be worst bloom ever recorded

“Our project is up until 2025, hopefully, we will be providing the proof of technology, as well as, as the economic and environmental assessment,” Reza added. “We don’t want to create another problem by solving a problem. "

Dr. Reza told Channel that if research goes well there may be other commercial applications.

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