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 landfill, as one might think.
Instead, at this destination, the seaweed is transported by truck to a designated area where it’s left to dry in the sun before being processed into various commercial products.
Thanks to the efforts of the Federal Maritime Land Zone (Zofemat), over 7,000 tons of sand have been recovered from sargassum and returned to the coastlines for beach nourishment in the past three years.
This sand was extracted from 87,000 tons of seaweed collected on Playa del Carmen’s beaches, according to Adrián Medina, Director of Solidaridad Zofemat (Federal Maritime Land Zone).
The meticulous drying and sifting process has not only contributed to beach restoration, particularly in the areas of El Recodo beach and Punta Esmeralda but has also created numerous job opportunities in the process, stated Medina.
Once the seaweed is separated from the sand, private companies step in to transform it into commercial products such as fertilizers, construction materials and even biofuels.
So far, multiple Mexican companies are working to repurpose sargassum and turn it into a profitable business.
Meanwhile, another Caribbean entrepreneur, Andrés Bisonó León, founder and CEO of SOS Carbon in the Dominican Republic, plans to collect up to 70% of sargassum in open waters using cutting-edge technology.
His company has already signed agreements with 10 countries to transform sargassum into several business opportunities.
Is the Sargassum Seaweed Season Over in the Mexican Caribbean?
Members of our Facebook group, Mexico Sargassum Seaweed Updates, report that seaweed is virtually gone in places like Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen.
While they mention spotting a few patches, the situation appears to be back to normal, with only the typically small amount of seaweed you see in most oceans—in other words, hardly any.
“As long as there’s an ocean, there’s going to be some,” says Diane V.
Some pictures taken today, show pristine beaches completely sargasum-free.
“We saw none last week even when the hurricane passed!” adds Sarah A.
Featured Image Credit: Zofemat