We're not being facetious when we say that sargassum is a serious threat to our shallow seas and could factor into your spring break plans. So what is it? Sargassum is a naturally occurring algae, a seaweed, that serves valuable ecological functions. But, over a decade ago, it began to show up in unnatural ways and the problem is getting worse. This year sargassum showed up early and often along the beaches of the Riviera Maya from Cancun to Belize, and in Florida and the Bahamas. This January, 2023, has already set a record for all previous January months. Worse, the amount of sargassum waiting offshore at this time of year is four times that of normal. We take a deep dive into this growing environmental concern by interviewing citizens and scientists to determine how and why sargassum blooms are occurring, how this is affecting anglers and wildlife, and what the future might hold?

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