BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Seaweed is piling up on Florida’s coasts and it could be carrying dangerous bacteria.
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While adrift, the sargassum provides a habitat for marine life.
Watch: Researchers in Florida receive grant to study sargassum and its potential uses
However, along the way to the coast, it picks up plastic and debris as it reaches the shore.
Experts say when combined with the sun, it creates the perfect place to cultivate the bacteria that causes flesh-eating infections.
Read: What is sargassum, the 5,000-mile-long mat of seaweed heading toward Florida?
The infections are rare but can be severe.
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