Seaweed Piles Up Mysteriously on Texas Gulf Coast

Gobs of brown seaweed are piling up on beaches quicker than they can be hauled away, and officials don’t know what is causing the seaweed assault.

Since mid-May, tons of seaweed have washed up on beaches from the Padre Island National Seashore below Corpus Christi to Holly Beach, La., and beyond on the Gulf of Mexico coast.

“It’s a losing battle,” said Thomas Garza, a Mustang Island State Park ranger. “It’s keeping three dump trucks busy.”

There are many theories as to why the seaweed has come ashore in such large amounts, with some blaming storms and other weather conditions.

“If I had to guess, I’d guess that there’s a slightly unusual current pattern that’s bringing more of the seaweed into the gulf,” said Bill Wardel, a Texas A&M; University-Galveston marine botanist.