CARICOOS.org

Outlook of 2026 Sargassum blooms May 31, 2026 by the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab
Looking ahead: Sargassum amount in most regions is likely to increase in June. Beaching events around the Caribbean and southeast coast of Florida will continue and likely increase. Some beaching events may also occur around Louisiana and Texas coasts. The year of 2026 is set to be another major Sargassum year (i.e., Sargassum amount exceeds 75% of the historical values), and possibly to be a record year by summer 2026.
More info : https://news.caricoos.org/2026/06/01/outlook-of-2026-sargassum-blooms-may-31-2026-by-the-university-of-south-florida-optical-oceanography-lab/

In the Mississippi Bight, a Sofar Spotter Wave Buoy funded by GCOOS and installed by Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) has reached its 1st anniversary milestone of gathering real-time wave data to support rip current predictions developed by the National Weather Service.

The buoy was deployed to expand the availability of wave data along nearly 95 miles of coastline across south Alabama where rip currents remain a serious hazard for residents and visitors.

This Spotter buoy measuring about 16 inches in diameter and weighing less than 20 pounds is tiny compared to typical ocean buoys that can be up to 9 feet in diameter and some 30-plus feet tall. But the data it provides is a BIG help to aid rip current forecasts around Dauphin Island, and support awareness of other surf zone hazards, including wave runup events that can cause coastal flooding.

DISL is currently working on deploying a second Sofar buoy off Pensacola Beach, Florida, to further expand and improve rip current forecasting.

▪️𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻: Gulf Coast / Southeast
▪️𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹: Spotter Buoy data via the GCOOS Data Portal
▪️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀: Provides real-time wave data that supports rip current predictions and other surf zone hazard awareness.
▪️𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://www.disl.edu/arcos/sofar-spotter/

𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑝 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝐼𝑂𝑂𝑆 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙, 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑠 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒. 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟: https://ioosassociation.org/data-portals/

Rip currents can be difficult to see from the beach, but better wave observations help improve the information used to understand when conditions may become dangerous. Across U.S. coasts, IOOS Regional Associations and their partners operate buoys and other assets that collect real-time wave and water condition data. These ocean observations support 𝗡𝗢𝗔𝗔’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 and the 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. For lifeguards, emergency managers, and coastal communities, this is a powerful example of IOOS keeping people safe: sustained local data, models, and forecasts working together to improve awareness before beach conditions become dangerous. Want to see the data behind the model, find an IOOS Regional Data Portal @ https://ioosassociation.org/data-portals/

In island communities, beach safety and boating safety are closely connected.
Across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, CARICOOS provides tools that help translate coastal and ocean observations into information people can use for local safety decisions.

CARICOOS tools support access to conditions such as winds, waves, tides, currents, buoy observations, weather alerts, and beach water quality information. Those data streams can help lifeguards, emergency managers, boating safety partners, coastal communities, and local officials understand what is changing and communicate risk more clearly.

▪️𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻: Caribbean
▪️𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹: CARICOOS Beach and Boating Apps
▪️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀: Provides local coastal, beach, and marine condition information for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
▪️𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲: 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘳𝘴 - https://apps.apple.com/in/app/pa-la-playa/id1402765796 and 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/caricoos-boating-app/id1472791298 (available for Android too)

𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑝 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝐼𝑂𝑂𝑆 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙, 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑠 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒. 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟: https://lnkd.in/e7QTtESb.

Repost from IOOS Association.
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Across U.S. coasts and Great Lakes, IOOS Regional Associations and their partners provide local ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes data that support real-world safety decisions, from beach conditions and rip current awareness to boating safety, emergency response, water quality, and coastal hazards.

At the IOOS Association, we’re grateful for the leadership of the United States Lifesaving Association and BoatUS Foundation in helping communities prepare for a safer summer on the water.

National Beach Safety Week: https://www.usla.org/page/safety-week
National Safe Boating Week: https://boatus.org/

Find your regional IOOS Data Portal: https://ioosassociation.org/data-portals/