Palm Beach will consider solutions for removing sargassum from its beaches

The Town Council will examine short-term and continuing solutions for removing seaweed from the town's beaches at its meeting Tuesday at Town Hall.

Council members will consider approving a contract for the immediate removal of sargassum from the town's North End. They also will be asked to provide direction for long-term plans for future seaweed impacts on the town’s shoreline.

Sargassum has been washing up on the town's beaches with more frequency and in higher volumes for several years, Public Works Director Paul Brazil wrote in an Aug. 31 memo to council members.

The seaweed, which floats in large masses on the surface of the ocean, can be harmful to nesting sea turtles, eggs and hatchlings.

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At its August meeting, the Town Council directed town staff to work on an expedited permit and contract that would clear the way for the removal of sargassum from the town's beaches.

"We've got a problem with sargassum that is overlapping the turtles and smothering them," Council President Maggie Zeidman said. "All kinds of bad things are happening. They're getting trapped in it. We need to do something about it, but not just for that reason. It's also hydrogen sulfide that you can smell. It's very irritating to some people."

Sea turtle nesting season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31.

Sargassum has become a persistent issue on the island, particularly in the town's North End from Angler Avenue to the inlet jetty, Brazil said.

Since 2019, the town has contracted with a mechanical beach cleaner to rake and bury seaweed within the public beaches at Midtown and Phipps Ocean Park.

During certain times of the year, only one day of beach cleaning is needed to clear seaweed from the town's beaches, Brazil said. At other times of the year, two days of cleaning per week are required.

As annual sargassum blooms become larger, the town expects that mechanical beach cleaning will not be able to remove all the seaweed washing ashore on its public beaches, Brazil said.

At its meeting, the Town Council will be asked to consider options for clearing it out.

As a short-term solution, town staff has been working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to consider a pilot project through which seaweed could be placed adjacent to the jetty and covered with a small layer of sand. This might deter hatchlings from heading toward the inlet and redirect them toward the ocean, Brazil said.

Seaweed also could be placed into large pits on the dry beach and covered with at least 3 feet of sand to continue to provide ample sea turtle nesting habitat.

Both options would be performed and monitored during the next nesting season to determine whether nesting is impacted.

A long-term solution for seaweed removal would be to mechanically clean the beaches north of Angler Avenue once or twice a week, just as the town currently does on public beaches.

Brazil noted that the town's five-year contract for mechanical beach cleaning is nearing expiration, and a new solicitation is being prepared.

Also Tuesday, the council will:

• Hear presentations on the town-wide undergrounding project and Phipps Ocean Park redesign.

• Vote on a proposed ordinance that would allow lawn maintenance on the Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving and modified lawn maintenance hours on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

• Consider alternatives to relocate garbage and recycling pickup at Lake Drive Park.

Council members will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Town Hall. Members of the public can participate in person or follow the meeting virtually via Zoom Webinar. Those wishing to make public comments virtually can access the Zoom link on the town's Meeting Audio page.

On Wednesday, the council also will host its monthly development review meeting, a local planning agency meeting, and a budget workshop.

The local planning agency meeting starts at 9:30 a.m.

The development review meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m., and the budget workshop will start at 5:01 p.m. Both meetings will be held in person and via Zoom. Those wishing to make public comments virtually can access the Zoom link on the Meeting Audio page.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach taking steps to remove sargassum from its beaches