BEACHES

The massive blob of seaweed that started stinking up Florida beaches earlier this year has started to shrink, according to researchers at the University of South Florida.

A study found that a 5,000-mile-long Sargassum seaweed clump off of Florida's east coast has been carrying floating plastics that hold the bacteria.

The footage shows that around 6:41 p.m., the crowds began to scramble away near Margaritaville along the Broadwalk.

A broad area of low pressure has developed off of the southeast coast of the U.S.

There was a big shift Friday in who patrols the beach in Volusia County. Just the day before, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that took immediate effect that says all unincorporated areas in a county now fall under the sheriff’s office.

Brevard County will spend nearly $900,000 to staff some south county beaches with lifeguards all year and not just during certain seasons.

Six months after Hurricane Nicole hit Volusia, much of the beach is still a mess with seawalls destroyed and dunes heavily eroded.

Brevard County health officials lifted a swim advisory for Cocoa Beach Pier nearly a week after fecal bacteria was found in the water.

Engineers in Flagler County are in the middle of about a half dozen dune nourishment projects after hurricanes in recent years took huge amounts of them.

All that stringy stuff that washed up on Brevard County beaches this past week is just the beginning of what scientists predict will grow into the largest-ever bloom of Sargassum seaweed ever recorded, according to News 6′s partners at Florida Today.

Bring a raincoat — chances are you're going to get wet.

A large mound of sand staged at Coconut Point Park on Monday appeared to be where Brevard County said it’s pausing work on a multi-million dollar beach renourishment project because of rough weather conditions.

Volusia County coastal residents suffering from last year's hurricanes are facing an even bigger problem thanks to Monday's storm surge.

Several flood barriers in Volusia County are scheduled to be taken down as sea turtle nesting season begins, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

A video submitted by a News 6 viewer shows beachgoers helping a sea critter that washed up on the shore in Flagler County Friday afternoon.

With sea turtle nesting season starting on May 1 in Volusia County—where cleanup and reconstruction from last year’s hurricanes is still going on—that could mean a big problem for oceanfront property owners who haven’t started work yet.

Leaders in Volusia County Tuesday are discussing a plan that could allow dogs on more areas of the beach.

In the first week of the Flagler County’s dune restoration project, 12.3 tons of sand have been added to 1,500 linear feet of area beaches, according to the county.

Florida showed deadly dominance in a recently compiled list of the most dangerous beaches in the U.S.

What sets apart those along the Gulf Coast from those along the Atlantic?

Beach warning flags are used to let people know when it’s not safe to get in the water, but this county is looking to change the way it warns swimmers.

Volusia County’s beaches are slowly reopening, with many ramps and walkovers still heavily damaged from the hurricanes.

A storm more than 2,000 miles away in the North Atlantic is having a major impact along the Florida beaches.

Florida’s emergency management team is getting creative in finding ways to reinforce Volusia’s coastline after the recent storms.

The beaches in Central Florida proved to provide much needed relief from the heat and a place for relaxation for thousands this Labor Day Weekend.

Volusia County warned beachgoers to watch out for washback turtles — palm-sized sea turtles that may be washing ashore on beaches in the county.

Huge crowds are expected to fill Volusia County beaches for the Fourth of July and beach safety is adding extra staff to make sure everyone stays safe this holiday weekend.

Threatened shorebirds have been hatching throughout southeast Volusia County over the past week ahead of what is expected to be a busy Fourth of July weekend in Central Florida, according to county officials.

No fireworks, no alcohol, no pets: Volusia County refreshed all potential Independence Day beachgoers of what rules they’re expected to follow on the seashore.

As summer approaches, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging families to make water safety a priority — especially for children ages 5-14 — as they return to pools and summer camps.

A radar in Satellite Beach and a road in Osceola County have cut through the heart of Florida's land conservation promises, environmental activists say.

It doesn’t really matter what time of year it is, there’s almost always a beach calling my name somewhere.

The ocean brought Tennile Maher and Wood Belcher together.

A ruby representation of Lewis College, representing a class in the 1950s or 1960s, isn’t exactly typical of Florida beaches, so Herzog knew he had to return it to its natural habitat.

Volusia County Beach Safety said the ocean will be a bit rough and you expect to see the red flag flying.

Larger Memorial Day crowds returned to Daytona Beach.

Seaweed on the beach is nothing new, but this is a lot.

A Senate committee on Monday unanimously approved a bill that would allow counties and cities to restrict smoking on beaches and public parks they own. Before passing the bill (SB 334), the Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved an amendment by Chairman Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford. that would prevent local governments from banning cigar or pipe smoking on beaches or in parks. AdBill sponsor Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said the goal is to get cigarettes off beaches and that cigars haven’t been the issue. The House Professions & Public Health Subcommittee is slated Tuesday to consider the House version (HB 239), sponsored by Rep. Thad Altman, R-Indialantic.

New Smyrna Beach mayor wants beaches to be limited to essential activities onlyPublished: July 17, 2020, 7:40 pmPeople flocked to New Smyrna Beach on Friday, forcing the beach approach on Flagler Avenue to close at 10 a.m. because it already reached maximum capacity.

Flagler County beaches - Flagler Beach, the Palm Coast and Beverly Beach will all be open for the Independence Day weekend. For more details, click here. For more details, click here. Seaworld Orlando Summer Fireworks (July 3 through 5) - Seaworld Orlando plans to pack your holiday weekend full of fireworks. For more info on the festive fireworks, click here.

Miami beaches opened to the public Wednesday for the first time in 12 weeks. Unfortunately, sharks also got the memo about the reopening. This aerial video of the waters off Miami beach Wednesday show where sharks swam about 20 to 60 feet offshore. A total of four sharks were spotted, but they appear to be social distancing themselves from beachgoers. No word on if they’re using masks or hand sanitizer.

Residents and tourists across Walton County beaches were in for quite a scare Friday afternoon. The grim reaper, or Florida lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder, was out protesting Walton County’s beaches with a film crew along for the ride. He’s the same Florida lawyer who filed a suit against DeSantis in March. Uhlfelder says he actually loves the beaches but thinks they should be empty for the foreseeable future. “I’ve got Mike Huckabee filing a bar complaint against me for speaking out, but there’s a time for this.”Uhlfelder is also currently leading efforts to make all Florida beaches public and do away with privately-owned beaches.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – There’s at least one person who wants full access to the beaches, and it’s Volusia County Chair Ed Kelley. The Volusia County chair hopes Gov. "He understands Volusia County. Kelley said if the county re-opens the beaches, not only will social distancing be enforced, the beaches will open in increments, starting with beach parking. It will also depend on the social distancing at the trails, where restrictions were lessened on Thursday.

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – Spring break means massive crowds at Central Florida beaches, but amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus, the state is cracking down on beachgoers. Tuesday evening the Cocoa Beach City Commission granted City Manager Jim McKnight emergency powers. Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik said the city will begin managing crowd control on the beaches during the coronavirus pandemic to comply with the CDC guidelines. “Decisions will be made in the next few days to limit beach access to control the crowd size. “At this time, the Satellite Beach Police Department will be patrolling beaches in Satellite Beach to enforce the party size and distance measures being taken statewide to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Police Chief Jeff M. Pearson said in a statement on Facebook.

Spring break is a great time to cut loose and celebrate the end of winter. There’s a reason why destinations such as Mexico and Fort Lauderdale are so popular for spring break. If you’re going to a popular spring break destination, make your travel arrangements now, as accommodations might sell out. If you're looking to do something really different for your spring break, why not escape spring altogether with a trip to the Southern Hemisphere? From lounging on the beach to skiing to volunteering, these seven spring break ideas offer fun for people of all ages.

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s always swimsuit season in Florida, thanks in part to the weather and its amazing beaches. In fact, Florida’s beaches are so amazing that eight of them landed spots on TripAdvisor’s list of the Top 25 Beaches in the United States for 2020. 1 is Siesta Key’s Siesta Beach, which was also ranked No. The closest beach to Central Florida to make the list is St. Augustine Beach at No. These are the top 25 beaches in the U.S., according to travelers:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The warmer weather has folks flocking to the beach but beach goers aren't the only ones enjoying the waves. Dozens of Portuguese man o’ war and jellyfish are washing up on shore and it’s left some people like Wanda Rush surprised. Rush’s family is from Wisconsin and they stumbled upon several man o’ war and a jellyfish, which gave Teresa Couey second thoughts about going back into the water. I don’t want to get stung,” Teresa Couey said. For Grace Hahn, she didn’t realize the Portuguese man o’ war were lined up against the sea wall, including one that was just feet from her chair.