The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt – it’s not the latest fashion accessory or a world fight title… It’s the massive seaweed ‘blob’ said to be twice the width of the continental United States (aka more than 8,000km) that’s headed for Florida and other coastlines in the Gulf of Mexico. Sargassum isn’t all bad – scientists say it’s a ‘moving ecosystem’ that’s crucial for fish and turtles. And even though a small portion of the seaweed will wash up on beaches, when it does the algae rots and releases chemicals that smells like rotten eggs and can cause headaches along with irritating a person’s eyes, nose and throat. Dr Brian Lapointe from Florida Atlantic University says it’s “a catastrophic problem” but most of the seaweed won’t make it to shore. And while this could be the biggest they’ve seen, similar events have happened before… “This is the new normal, and we’re going to have to adapt to it,” said Dr Lapointe. Seaweed salad, anyone?