the excess accumulation of nutrients in aquatic and marine environments have been well studied and shown to be driving factors in eutrophication. Since detrimental Sargassum inundation events did not begin until 2011, it is likely that an unknown nutrient threshold was reached and surpassed. Given current agricultural policies and practices, it is unlikely these inundation events will disappear on their own without human intervention. Sargassum (F. Sargassaceae) is an important seaweed excessively distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Different species of Sargassum have folk applications in human nutrition and are considered a rich source of vitamins, carotenoids, proteins, and minerals. Many bioactive compounds chemically classified as terpenoids, sterols, sulfated polysaccharides, polyphenols, sargaquinoic acids, sargachromenol, and pheophytin were isolated from different Sargassum species. These isolated compounds and/or extracts exhibit diverse biological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, fibrinolytic, immune-modulatory, anticoagulant, hepatoprotective, and anti-viral activities. Climate change Variations in sea level, salinity, water temperature, chemical composition, rainfall patterns and water acidity all play roles in regulating algae blooms. As anthropogenic forces increase the variability of these factors, the frequency, duration, severity and geographic range of harmful algae blooms have increased, causing millions of dollars of lost revenue as well as damaging fragile coastal and coral ecosystems. References Further reading External links algaebase.org seaweed.ie marlin.ac.uk Sargassum in Northern Ireland. The SuriaLink Seaplants Handbook – Sargassum habitas.org.uk irishseaweed.com Sargassum reproduction. Sargassum Early Advisory System Texas What is the Sargasso Sea? US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2013, June 1). Edible algae Fucales Fucales genera Marine biota of North America