Workers remove sargassum using an excavator, shovels and wheelbarrows in Playa del Carmen (Quintana Roo) in April 2022. Artur Widak (Getty Images)
The coasts of Quintana Roo, in the Mexican Caribbean, are once again on edge for the arrival of Sargassum. A macroalgae that has become an uneasy guest in Mexico’s top tourist destination over the past decade. Accustomed to the fact that the seaweed season started in May, this year the early arrival at some beaches was surprising, three months ahead of schedule. It is expected to break all records this year, surpassing the 54,000 tons collected in 2022, according to the latest studies from the University of Florida, which is in charge of monitoring these algae floods.
State authorities have announced that they will erect anti-Sargassum barriers on several beaches from February 15, including Mahaual, one of the hardest hit areas in recent seasons. The measure is part of the strategy to deal with this environmental crisis, but year after year authorities are overwhelmed by a problem that is expected to continue to grow. Neither the construction of barriers nor the collection efforts of the Navy and private companies were enough to solve the problem.
State governor Mara Lezama announced the construction of a 1,400-foot barrier to make it difficult for algae to reach the beach. Construction of a 5,000 square meter facility for the treatment of Sargassum has also been completed. The Department of the Environment has granted municipalities—many in jungle areas—land as sargasso deposits; However, most “do not have environmental impact statements, nor have geomembranes installed to prevent the leachate from contaminating the soil,” Rosa Elisa Rodríguez, a researcher at UNAM, said in an interview with this newspaper. For several years now, environmentalists and scientists have been warning of the risk of contamination of aquifers in an ecosystem as fragile as that of the Riviera Maya.
Local and federal authorities, scientists and the Sargasso Monitoring Network have begun working meetings to partner with the private sector in efforts to keep the beaches clean. “Progress has been made in developing a global strategy for the 2030 Agenda to address the Sargassum problem,” Sargassum Monitoring Network director Esteban Amaro told EFE. The information they have been preparing for several years helps to know which beaches are most affected depending on the direction of the wind and tide.
This foul-smelling flood has become a threat to the tourism industry and the arrival of travelers. According to official data, tourism accounts for 8.7% of Mexico’s total GDP. And the state of Quintana Roo contributes 7.1% to the country’s GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. According to 2019 figures, a luxury resort like Cancun’s Zoetry Hotel costs $350,000 a year to maintain a clean private beach.
The issue of sargasso not only has an impact on tourism, but studies also show its strong impact on ecosystems, the environment and health after its decomposition on the coast. As experts point out, it’s a problem that will persist because of the eutrophication of the oceans, that is, the increased amount of nutrients in the water due to ranching, agriculture and mining, among other things. This transformation caused the uncontrolled spread of these kinds of organisms, which are attracted to the shore by the tides, preventing the water from oxygenating and filtering light.
According to the Sargasso Monitoring Network, contamination could reach 90,000 tons this year on Riviera Maya coasts, more than 50% of what arrived in 2021, when 44,000 tons were collected.
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Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
