Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands) seaweed today

SEAWEED RIGHT NOW

High

Latest report: very heavy sargassum.

Piles on the sand, mats through the water, and a strong rotten-egg smell. If seaweed ruins a beach day for you, pick another beach today.

No red tide effects expected.

Updated Jun 15

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What this means on the sand

Sargassum is a floating brown seaweed that drifts ashore from the Atlantic in pulses, heaviest from roughly May through August. Light levels mean scattered clumps you can walk around; heavy levels mean thick mats along the waterline, a sulfur smell as it breaks down, and tougher entry into the water.

On the Gulf coast this page also tracks red tide (Karenia brevis) from FWC sampling. Elevated red tide can mean respiratory irritation on the beach and dead fish in the surf; on high days, the score reflects it and this report names it.

ShoreScore folds this reading into Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands)'s overall 0-100 score alongside live weather, surf, UV, and official water-quality testing, so one number tells you whether it's worth the trip.

Seaweed at nearby beaches

Pensacola Beach · Perdido Key (Johnson Beach) · Navarre Beach · Fort Walton Beach · Destin (Henderson Beach) · All beaches

Also for Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands): today's water quality and bacteria test →

Sources: NOAA and FWC, refreshed daily. Informational only, not for safety decisions.