This research highlights the crucial role of the anomalous currents of 2009/2010 in the massive spread of sargassum. The findings provide insights into why sargassum thrives in the ‘Great Sargassum Belt’ and suggest that nutrient inputs from large rivers or coastal upwelling do not play a significant role in sustaining the high biomass levels observed in recent years.

Although these results are derived from numerical models with certain limitations, they align with and further support the hypotheses and results presented in the 2020 study by E. Johns and colleagues.