Riviera Maya hoteliers have confirmed that $300 million in financing has been secured from international funds and the European Union to help address the significant financial and environmental impacts caused by sargassum across Quintana Roo. These resources will support research projects and companies developing commercial products to make use of the algae and potentially generate …
Maria Valencia
A few weeks ago, the Municipal President of Solidaridad, Estefanía Mercado, acknowledged the serious consequences that worsening beach erosion in the region—exacerbated by sargassum collection—could have on the tourism sector. Despite recognizing the vital role beaches play in driving tourism, the official stated that the city council lacked the financial resources to tackle the problem …
While the 2024 sargassum season has officially ended, small patches of seaweed continue to wash up on Quintana Roo’s shorelines here and there. Nothing to be worried about—the algae has been a natural part of the sea for centuries and, in low amounts, it even benefits marine ecosystems. Recently, favorable weather conditions in the Atlantic …
Over the past three years, the Mexican government and private sector have been supporting and funding both commercial and academic projects aiming at finding innovative solutions to mitigate the sargassum problem in Quintana Roo. This November, BBVA’s National Sustainability Challenge, in collaboration with the Riviera Maya Hotel Association (AHRM), will recognize three standout projects that …
The 2024 sargassum season in Mexico brought significantly less seaweed than predicted. Could this be a sign that 2025 might also be “good” for tourism? Data collected over the last four weeks confirms that the unwelcome sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean has officially ended, leaving considerable losses, particularly in the tourism and fishing industries, …
A recent report by the Dominican Republic news outlet N Digital Multimedia has raised concerns about the potential threat posed by highly polluted sargassum and flesh-eating bacteria present in the water. According to the report, a study conducted by INTEC University found that the sargassum washing ashore cannot be repurposed for agricultural use due to …
According to satellite observations, sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean has officially come to an end, thanks to a drop in water temperatures, authorities stated. Esteban Amaro Mauricio, a hydrobiologist and Director of the Sargassum Monitoring Network, said that based on the last four weeks of satellite data, it is safe to say that the …
Category 5 Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction as it swept through Quinta Roo, including the island of Cozumel. Torrential rains, powerful winds reaching up to 196 mph, and high waves caused beach erosion and damaged infrastructure along the coastline. In response, a robust government-led cleanup campaign quickly tacked the removal of sargassum, debris …
In small quantities or open waters, sargassum does not pose a significant risk to human health or marine ecosystems. However, that’s no longer the case with massive volumes of seaweed washing ashore, poisoning shallow waters and killing marine life. Although sargassum season in Mexico is essentially over, authorities reported this week the detection of high …
One of the collateral effects of the massive sargassum arrival in the Caribbean is beach erosion, caused by the necessary removal of algae using heavy machinery. In places like Quintana Roo, where authorities and the private sector invest heavily on seaweed treatment, the sargassum removed from beaches and the ocean isn’t simply dumped in a …