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 images have revealed that the large masses of biomass approaching Mexico have diverted toward southern Florida, said hydrologist and director of Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network, Esteban Amaro Mauricio.
New positive oceanographic weather conditions have been changing the direction and speed of main and secondary currents since the beginning of June in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Related: Latest Mexico Sargassum Seaweed Report
Marine currents near “Trinidad and Tobago are dragging sargassum northward. This phenomenon is a consequence of water density changes and thermal variations caused by the contributions of fresh water from the Amazon and Orinoco rivers and a seasonal weather change (spring to summer.),” said Amaro.
According to the hydrologist, only 1 million out of the 6.8 million tons observed on June 20 will pass through the Mexican Caribbean and only “a part of it” will wash up on the country’s beaches.
That “part” is estimated to impact some areas between Mahahual and Xcalak, the east coast of Cozumel, the south of Punta Nizuc, the Sian Ka’an reserve and Tulum.
However, authorities and the hotel industry have activated plans to collect and get rid of sargassum as soon as it arrives.
The rest of the algae would negatively impact the Lesser and Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica.
The coasts of the Dominican Republic alone might receive several tons this summer.
Conversely, Mexican Caribbean beaches are forecast to be near sargassum-free from mid-July to September 2024.
If this trend continues, likely, the fall and winter seasons will also be algae-free.
These are nothing but great news for holidaymakers and the tourist industry alike. When sargassum inundates beaches, it damages marine ecosystems, disrupts tourism and creates unsafe conditions for swimmers and beachgoers.
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