Join the “Sargassum Watch” Citizen Science project

As the beach season hits high gear along the Texas Gulf Coast, visitors and residents alike are noticing large amounts of Sargassum—floating brown seaweed—washing up on shore.

While Sargassum can sometimes be unsightly and produce an unpleasant odor, it plays an important ecological role in the health of Texas beaches. Sargassum isn’t just seaweed — it’s a floating habitat that supports an entire community of life, from tiny shrimp and crabs to juvenile fish and even sea turtles.

Sargassum is a type of free-floating brown algae that forms large mats in the ocean, particularly in the Atlantic and Gulf regions. These mats serve as critical habitat for many marine species. However, when large quantities of Sargassum wash ashore, they can disrupt beach ecosystems, affect tourism, and overwhelm local communities.

That’s where you come in.

Be a Citizen Scientist with UTMSI

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) invites you to help us track Sargassum landings along the Texas coast through the “Sargassum Watch” Citizen Science project. Your observations help researchers better understand the timing, location, and impacts of these events. With your help, we can detect patterns and share findings with the larger scientific community.

This project is part of a broader international effort to monitor Sargassum across the Atlantic and Caribbean, including the Sargassum Monitoring© initiative. Your contributions will support not just local research, but global understanding of this complex and growing issue.

How to Participate Using Epicollect5

Becoming a citizen scientist is easy — and your beach trip can double as fieldwork! Just follow these steps:

1. Get the App or Use a Browser
   • Download the Epicollect5 app from the App Store or Google Play,
     OR visit https://five.epicollect.net.
2. Find the Project
   • Open the app and click “Add Project.”
   • Search for Sargassum Watch and select the project.
3. Submit an Entry
   • Tap the plus (+) sign to start a new entry.
   • Enter the date and your location (or allow GPS to auto-fill it).
   • Take a photo of the Sargassum landing.
   • Answer the short survey questions.
   • Add any extra observations (e.g., wildlife present, amount, smell, etc.).
4. Upload Your Data
   • Tap “Save Entry.”
   • Then click “Upload Now.” First, upload the entry data. Then upload your photos.
   • Once you see “all entries uploaded,” your observation has been successfully submitted.

Why It Matters

Sargassum is here to stay, and we need your help to understand it. By documenting what you see, you’re helping UTMSI and our partners detect changes in our coasts over time — from seasonal trends to extreme events. This data helps scientists, coastal managers, and communities make informed decisions about managing Sargassum responsibly.

Want to Use the Data?

If you’re part of an organization or research group and want to use data collected through this project, please email Ph.D. Lowell (lipor001@fiu.edu) and reference the “Sargassum Watch” Citizen Science project.

Together, we can make Sargassum Watch effective—and impactful.

Funding for this project is provided by the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System.

Sebastian Quintanilla, UTMSI volunteer, Teresa Bennett, UTMSI Research Assistant IV, and Alfonsina Romo, UTMSI Research Associate conduct nearshore survey, in coordination with satellite, in Port Aransas, TX. Assisting the group was April and Nelson Miller, boat captain and his wife (seen in the background), May 12, 2025. Credit: Sebastian Quintanilla.