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 …
Mexico
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 …
The breathtaking beaches of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, have been awarded the esteemed Blue Flag certification for the third year in a row. This is more than a random award—it is an international recognition granted to beaches, marinas and a series of tourism operators that achieve high environmental, safety and quality standards, including exceptional water quality. …
Mexican private and public sectors have announced a groundbreaking partnership to fight sargassum and boost business opportunities in the Caribbean region. According to Toni Chaves, hotel leader in Quintana Roo, the Mexican Institute for Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS), the Association of Hotels of Riviera Maya (AHRM) and the Seas We Love (TSWL) …
Powered by the Visa Foundation, the NGO Mayma Mexico developed the project “Regenerating Blue Communities: Promoting Business Solutions Beyond Sustainability in the Coastal Socio-ecosystem of Quintana Roo” to identify business opportunities arising from sargassum use. Between Nov. 2023 and Jun. 2024, the organization found 85 projects working on initiatives to capitalize on the seaweed washing …
Following the Riviera Maya Hotel Association’s intention to disengage from the financial burden of cleaning up sargassum, a total of eight municipalities in the Mexican Caribbean have pledged to its effective removal and disposal until December 15, 2024. Municipalities committed to cleaning up to 100 popular beaches include Cozumel, Solidaridad, Isla Mujeres, Benito Juárez, Tulum, …
Mexico has been dealing with sargassum inundation events for almost a decade. This season, famous beaches across Quintana Roo have been covered by algae due to a combination of environmental factors. But that’s about to stop, authorities have announced. According to Jesús Amaro, a hydrobiologist who chairs the Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change Network of …
Beryl made landfall as a category-two hurricane on Friday in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula after passing through some Caribbean countries, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Although the hurricane brought heavy rains and strong winds to Cancun and Tulum, no important damages were reported. Only fallen palm trees and a flood in the hotel zone. …
Tourists hate sargassum. It’s a brown, ugly macroalgae that washes up on the shores of the Mexican Caribbean. Left too long in the sun and it starts to emit quite the funky odor. On the east side of the Mexican Caribbean, the beach authorities spend millions to block the sargassum coming to the shores of …
Despite significant sargassum landfalls observed over the last few weeks, the Mexican Caribbean will be algae-free in a couple of weeks, say authorities. As of today, concentrations of macroalgae on beaches are very low and no more are coming, according to experts. The remaining algae will finish arriving during the first week of July. Satellite …