What’s that smell? North Shore community plagued by ‘rotten egg’ odor

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Officials have identified the source of a foul stench that has been plaguing a North Shore town for days.

If you live in the east section of Gloucester, odds are you’ve noticed a strong, rotten egg-like odor.

"It smells horrendous. I thought a large mammal died in the marsh," one person wrote on social media.

The lingering stink prompted city officials to release a statement on the smelly situation.

In a statement shared on Facebook, the city said a large amount of an invasive Japanese seaweed called Heterosiphonia japonica was swept into the Good Harbor estuary by Hurricane Erin’s high tides.

Erin passed hundreds of miles off the coast of New England in late August, causing beach closures due to strong rip currents and large waves.

“Last week’s hurricane winds pushed large amounts of this seaweed onto our shores, and high tides carried it into the Good Harbor estuary,” officials said in a statement. “Without another strong tide to pull it back out, it’s sitting and decomposing, which is what you’re smelling. The odor should fade as the seaweed breaks down.”

While the odor may be concerning, officials reminded the public that the decaying process is natural.

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