Oceanographers say they don’t yet understand what is causing the influx of sargassum but believe the climate crisis is a factor. They say it could be caused by more nutrients in the water, warmer waters and changing wind patterns. There is also a theory that fertiliser runoff from industrial farming in the Americas is causing the problem. In the small coastal community of Placencia, hotel and restaurant owners have seen a drop in visitor numbers since the seaweed started washing up on the white beaches, and getting rid of it is a constant challenge