TAMPA, Fla. — A blanket of seaweed that spans roughly 5,000 miles that can be seen from space is heading for the east coast of Florida.

The mass is called sargassum.

“So we are looking at the sargassum mass floating on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean captured by satellites," said Dr. Chuanmin Hu, a professor at the University of South Florida who focuses on optical oceanography. He has been watching this mass move towards the state.

“It’s a moving habitat for many marine animals in the oceans. So it’s good, but too much of a good thing is bad — especially on the beaches.

He says it won’t make landfall anywhere near Tampa, but the East Coast is another story.

Hu says the sargassum is roughly two times the size of Tampa Bay, and it can quickly become a problem when it ends up on beaches. He says it can cause disruptions for sea turtles on beaches, boaters and beachgoers.

When sargassum rots, it releases hydrogen sulfide, which can cause respiratory issues for some people.

“It’s like a rotten egg — a rotten egg emits the same gas. It’s very bad. Plus, it attracts insects, bacteria,” Hu said.

The biggest sargassum mass to make landfall was in 2018 and had cost millions in lost tourist dollars and cleanup, according to Hu.

Hu says these large masses are becoming more frequent. The data shows a huge jump beginning in 2018, and it continues to be an issue to this day, Hu said.

He says that local officials are more prepared to clean it up as this problem grows year after year.