Stephen Leatherman of FIU is a coastal scientist that is currently exploring sargassum, a free-floating brown seaweed that grows in calm waters. Sargassum first arrived on the Caribbean coast in 2011 and prevents swimmers from getting in the water and boats from leaving port.

“I’ve watched these invasions become the new normal…turning clear blue waters golden brown. Along with other researchers, I’m trying to understand why sargassum has proliferated into this new sprawling bloom, how to deal with such massive amounts of it, and how affected countries can predict the severity of the next influx,” said Leatherman.

• Stephen Leatherman