The Sunshine State's picturesque beaches, once a haven for tourists, are now facing a crisis that threatens to upend the very fabric of its tourism industry. A recent study, conducted by researchers from Woods Hole in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island, has shed light on the devastating economic impact of sargassum seaweed beachings on Florida's coastline. The research, published in the journal Harmful Algae, paints a grim picture of the consequences of these beachings, with estimated losses ranging from a staggering $4 million in the Big Bend region to a whopping $2. 68 billion in the southeast, encompassing Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. Tonya Wilson, a Fort Walton Beach resident who regularly fields questions about coastal conditions on her Facebook page, aptly captures the sentiment of many tourists: "People spend a lot of money and they expect the beach to look like the pictures and they get down there and it looks like a swamp." The reality, it seems, is far from the idyllic images that lure visitors to Florida's shores. Di Jin, a marine resource economist with Woods Hole and co-author of the study, emphasizes the significance of having concrete estimates of losses, which can help justify the costs of mitigating ← →
“People spend a lot of money and they expect the beach to look like the pictures and they get down there and it looks like a swamp,” said Fort ...Looking to read more like this: Check here
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