The worst peak of sargassum is approaching and several beaches in Quintana Roo will be heavily affected by disproportionate amounts of algae. warned experts.
From now until August, the popular Mexican state will once again receive thousands of tons of sargassum on its otherwise pristine beaches.
Authorities expect “about 500 thousand tons [of sargassum]mainly in the southern municipalities of Mahahual and Xcalak, Sian Ka’an, Solidaridad and Tulum,” said Esteban Amaro Mauricio, head of the Sargassum Monitoring Network.
Take note. The most affected beaches include Playa del Niño, Puerto Juárez and Puerta del Mar Beach in Cancun.
In summary, sargassum is expected to be especially problematic from Riviera Cancun beach (in front of the Moon Palace hotel) to Tulum.
This issue should not be taken lightly. In a recent report, authorities revealed the detection of a blob measuring over “7,400 tons of sargassum drifts from the Honduran Caribbean to Mexican beaches.” The disturbing discovery was made by the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Laboratory.
To address the problem, Quintana Roo authorities have installed some 8,600 meters of anti-sargassum barriers.
“This strengthens the efforts of 22 small boats, one seagoing vessel, four beach sweepers, 11 algae collectors and eight amphibious gangs to control sargassum by 2024.” according to REPORTUR.mx.
In addition, according to El Heraldo, the Minister of the Navy (Semar) has sent 22 smaller ships to assist with cleanup efforts.
One of the risks reported by multiple sources is that this biomass has the potential to double in the next twenty days due to its incredible ability to reproduce in the open sea.
This poses a problem for tourists, who will have their holidays partially ruined.
Large amounts of sargassum consume large amounts of oxygen and poison the water, suffocating hundreds of marine animals.
If there is too much sargassum in the water it will cause “anoxia and the release of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane, which are dangerous to human health and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of marine species,” warned the Citizen Observatory of Quintana Roo.
While swimming in Sargassum is not necessarily dangerous, it is no longer the best idea because the amounts currently washing up on shore are, simply put, not normal.
According to Rosa Elisa Rodríguez Martínez, member of the Academic Unit of Reef Systems of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology of Quintana Roo, swimming among sargassum “May be harmful to swimmers because it contains zinc, arsenic, lead and phosphorus.”
