Sargassum Tracker

All about sargassum: satellite images, forecasts and outlooks.

Forecast for September 9, 2026 - A tropical wave will cross the area. East winds 10-15 knots, increasing to 15 to 20 knots with gusts. Seas 3-5 feet. Small craft should exercise caution. Rip currents.
The CARICOOS buoys in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Rincón, Puerto Rico, are currently under maintenance. Updates will be provided as they become available.

USF OOL Long Term Outlook

LAST UPDATE: Aug 31, 2026

Consistent with previous years, the total Sargassum amount in every region continued to decline in July, while the distribution patterns remained stable, with the Sargassum “belt” still stretching from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf. The total amount within the “belt” was halved, and the amount in the Gulf decreased to 1/3 of the July level. However, the total amount in every region but the east Atlantic still exceeded the 75th percentiles of historical levels.

USF Sargassum Outlook 2026 - Bulletin 08

Coastal inundation and beaching events in most regions continued in August, including the southeast coast of Florida and around the Caribbean and Lesser Antilles islands.

SARGASSUM ABUNDANCE INTENSITY

Details

Looking ahead: Sargassum amounts in all regions will continue to decrease over the coming months, possibly until November. Meanwhile, beaching events around the Caribbean and the southeast coast of Florida will continue, but not as severe as in the summer months. We will keep a close eye on whether there are anomalous changes in the coming months. All previous monthly bulletins, as well as daily imagery, can be found under the Sargassum Watch System (SaWS). Meanwhile, high-resolution Sargassum maps for selected coastal regions are also available in near real-time under “Satellite Data Products => High Resolution” on the OOL Website.

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Disclaimer

The information bulletin is meant to provide a general outlook of current bloom condition and future bloom probability for the Caribbean Sea. By no means should it be used for commercial purpose, or used for predicting bloom conditions for a specific location or beach. The authors of this bulletin, as well as Caricoos, USF and NASA, take no responsibility for improper use or interpretation of the bulletin. Any use of the image, data, or graph from this bulletin page in reports or publications should obtain permission from the USF OOL group.