A 5,500-mile-long mass of this seaweed reached a record size in 2022 and threatens tourism by smothering beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. For 10 points each:
[10h] Name this genus of brown algae that uses gas-filled pneumatophores to create floating mats that many animals find habitat in.
ANSWER: Sargassum
[10m] Sargassum has drawn attention as it can harbor bacteria of this genus, including the "flesh-eating" species vulnificus. A bacterium in this genus secretes the toxin CTX, which is mitigated by oral rehydration therapy.
ANSWER: Vibrio [vulnificus or cholerae]
[10e] Among the animals who depend on Sargassum are the "loggerhead" and "green" species of these marine reptiles.
ANSWER: sea turtles [or marine turtles or Chelonioidea; prompt on turtles]
<June Yin , Science - Biology - Organisms>