Every summer, beach towns along the Atlantic coast brace themselves for an unwelcome visitor — massive quantities of sargassum seaweed that washes ashore in large, smelly mats.
Coastal communities are now spending millions of dollars to manage the seasonal seaweed surge, as the annual sargassum season has become an increasingly significant challenge for towns that rely on clean, attractive beaches to draw visitors.
The seaweed, which floats in from the ocean, has forced beach towns to adapt their operations and budgets to deal with the ongoing onslaught each year.
