After a three- to four-day respite with clean beaches thanks to the passage of the last cold front, sargassum has reappeared on the Riviera Maya, affecting areas of Quintana Roo such as Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Puerto Morelos.
Although recent conditions had favored clean coastlines, the seaweed continues to wash ashore atypically and with increasing frequency, outside of what for years was its usual season.
Personnel from the Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (ZOFEMAT) state that in the last seven years there has been a steady increase in the presence of sargassum, as well as changes in the periods when it arrives on the coasts, whereas previously it was concentrated mainly between September and October.
“Sargassum is everywhere. In the last seven years, we have seen an increase in sargassum. We know that it is a consequence of many actions, of climate change. So everything affects it; our actions affect the sea,” commented the deputy director of ZOFEMAT in Tulum.
Visitors also agree that what is happening now is no longer what was previously considered normal for this time of year.
“The sargassum affects the sea, the ocean, and it’s bad. Too much of it isn’t good. In September and October there’s a lot here, but what we’re seeing today isn’t normal,” said Hedder Kalena, a contributor to Mexidrive.
The impact is reflected in tourism throughout the Riviera Maya, where sea conditions directly influence visitors’ decisions.
“The sea is ‘chocolate-colored,’ it’s all ugly, and that’s keeping people, tourists, from staying here. We’re seeing them go to the lagoons, to the cenotes, they’re looking for clean areas,” explained Enrique Ventura, a tour operator.
State government intervenes to solve the problem
Given this situation, state authorities are maintaining and intensifying containment and collection efforts, in coordination with the hotel sector.
“To date, we have collected 12,000 to 13,000 tons of sargassum. Last year we had 9,000 meters of barriers; this year we’re aiming for more, 15,000 meters. 7,200 meters of barriers are already in place, and we are also working with hotel owners to get them installed sooner. This week, another 5,000 meters of barriers will arrive, which we purchased and will be added to the existing sargassum collection systems, which are also important,” stated Mara Lezama, Governor of Quintana Roo.
Thus, the arrival of sargassum remains a constant phenomenon in the Riviera Maya, with atypical patterns that have altered its seasonality for years, requiring ongoing efforts to manage it.
Source: unotv
