Problem Solving Essay Example: Sargassum Seaweed

Sargassum seaweed is a huge problem and we are going to fix it with some of these solutions. Sargassum seaweed is a brown algae that is in very large blooms. There are many different ways to try to control them but some people think it's not the best idea to do so. This sargassum seaweed is making countries lose more and more money every year because they lose tourists. Some of these solutions to the seaweed might work and some might but it's worth a try to fix it, isn't it? It may help some sea animals but it can also hurt them and do damage to the human body as well. 

As of right now, there is  “No clear answer!”  (Gabriel Saucedo Eichelmann) of why this sargassum seaweed is here. So until scientists can find the real solution we can’t pinpoint how to fix. That is why we need to try different solutions to figure out how to control it. Then once we control then do a test to figure out why it bloomed so much. We need to figure out a plan until it creates a bigger problem than it already has created. 

We need to find a solution to sargassum seaweed because it can cause big tourist spots to lose a lot of money, and that's what makes the countries money.  The gas gives off can hurt or even kill humans and animals if they breathe it in too much. If this seaweed decomposes in the water it can create harmful bacteria for sea life. Sargassum seaweed can affect our future greatly. It can cause people with asthma to get even more serious breathing problems and it can even lead them to death. Also, the way we are trying to remove it now is not safe. Eventually it will make the beaches erode if we keep doing it the same way. Sargassum produces asexually and very fast and at this rate, it could be piled so high we might not even have a chance of trying to fix it anymore. It is causing hotels and resorts to spend way more than they need to. They have to pay people to work all day every day to try and keep their beach as clean as possible. If they can’t keep them clean they have to get buses to shuttle people to a sargassum free beach. If they don’t do these things they will keep losing money. 

Why It Is Blooming This Much

So there are many thoughts on why sargassum seaweed is blooming so much but there is no exact reason why yet. One of the reasons they think it is blooming is because of “deforestation and fertilizer use along the Amazon River are contributing to the rapid growth. The nutrient can be leaching out and - into the ocean to stimulate sargassum growth.” (Wang)  which could be an easy fix to sargassum seaweed if we knew this was the real cause of this. If we could control deforestation and where all the stuff they throw out is going we could cut back on it. 

Another reason some scientists think it is blooming so much is because of global warming. “it’s a tropical plant; therefore, warmer oceans = more ocean to bloom”(Gabriel Saucedo Eichelmann) Even though some say global warming is caused by humans, it is just all nature that controls it. If this is the cause of the sargassum blooms it would be very hard to almost impossible to fix just because you can’t just go out and change the weather. 

Pollution also could be the cause of sargassum seaweed “nutrient-rich waters act as a fertilizer for the seaweed” (Gabriel Saucedo Eichelmann) a big cause of pollution is human and it is something we could control and something we need to start controlling. By controlling the pollution give of could not only help get rid of sargassum seaweed but it could help get rid of a lot of other problems too. 

Then the last reason that I could come across is the disturbance of liquid boundaries. “winds, storms, and spiraling currents help disperse Sargassum throughout the world’s oceans.” (Gabriel Saucedo Eichelmann) this means when the wind picks up or it storms it carries the grape pods to a different part of the ocean which is spreading the blooms everywhere. This is another thing that we can’t really control or try to get rid of to stop the blooming of these sargassum blooms. 

Some say getting rid of sargassum seaweed could hurt the environment and sealife. Sargassum is a home and a food source for a hundred and twenty sea animals. Turtles which are known as a very protective species use these sargassum pads to float on. When the sargassum seaweed hits land many small land animals also use this as a food source. One of the biggest reasons they don't want people to remove the sargassum seaweed off of the beach is because it will cause the beaches to erode. Which could be a really big problem in the long run. Sargassum seaweed is a good composting element, even though it gives off the worst smell as it is decomposing. It can be used as a rich fertilizer that is very high in nutrients. Although it can hurt fisherman's businesses it can benefit the fishermen that just go out looking for that big catch. The seaweed is a perfect place for the big fish to think that they are safe. It is also a feeding ground for them because that is where all of the little fish are eating. 

Control Ideas

Now that you have seen all the reasons it is here and how we could change small things to fix it, here are some big ideas that could help control it. So the first thought was a floating containment barrier across the coast that would collect all of the seaweed and not let it get to the beaches. This will save a lot more money because right now they have to get expensive equipment to remove it off the beaches. This is much more simple and easy-going jobs than to keep running these machines all day.  Once the seaweed is stuck by the barricades there would be boats that would go by collecting the seaweed.

Now, where would this all go? It is known as a great fertilizer so we could take it to a building that could control the gasses that are released from this and let it decompose. Not only we are making a great fertilizer this could create more jobs in countries like Mexico. Another solution to this problem is water suction could be a pond filter but just bigger. It could suck in the seaweed and it could go straight into a plant to make the fertilizer just like above. If there are any sea animals found in it they can be put in a tank then taken back to the ocean. Not only will it be sucking in this seaweed it will suck in the garbage too, but it will also help keep our oceans cleaner. 

In conclusion, there are many ways we can try to get rid of this seaweed without hurting the environment more than this seaweed already is anyways. We can control this with simply fixing some of the things we do every day. We can also fix them with more simple solutions than doing it by wheelbarrows and renting expensive machines. With the solutions in my essay will get rid of some of the seaweed but not all so we won't be taking it all away from the sea life there will still be plenty of it for them. There are many benefits to this sargassum seaweed but there are more harmful effects to it. We need to find a solution to this before it gets too out of hand and we can’t control it anymore.