Seaweed season is in full swing on Mexico's Caribbean coast. Not all beaches are polluted and not all beaches have the same amount of algae, but most beaches have algae. There are no algae on the islands at all; in Cancun — relatively little, but on the beaches of the Riviera Maya, especially in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, there is a lot of algae. If there is algae on the beach near you, choose another beach for relaxation where there is no algae or where they are promptly removed. In groups on social networks, users quickly share information about beach pollution, and it is not difficult to find a beach where there is no algae today.
The situation with algae on Mexican beaches will develop as in previous years: today some beaches have algae, others are clean, tomorrow — vice versa. It is impossible to predict the appearance of algae on a particular beach.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico has been tracking the development of sargassum seaweed since it first began appearing in large quantities in 2014. The amount of algae arriving on Mexican beaches has steadily increased, peaking around 2018/2019 before showing signs of a slight decline in 2020. There are suggestions that the decline was due to the pandemic and the subsequent reduction in the use of agrochemicals and carbon emissions across the planet, which curbed the development of algae. At the same time, University scientists predict that in 2022 the volume of algae on Caribbean beaches will exceed the levels of 2018. It is predicted that at least 32 thousand tons of seaweed will arrive on the beaches of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo in the coming weeks - an extremely large volume. Already, the volume of algae intake significantly exceeds the figures for the same period in 2018.
The US National Aerospace Agency estimates that in April the amount of algae floating in the Caribbean Sea was at least 14 million tons. This is a record figure recorded for the entire observation period for this period of the year. In April 2018, 12.6 million tons of seaweed were found in the Caribbean Sea. The mass of algae is calculated mathematically based on data from satellite images.
Unfortunately, at the moment, Mexico, despite all its efforts, is not able to cope with the algae. Several methods are used to combat them. Early detection is carried out with the support of drones and aircraft, as well as satellite images from universities studying natural phenomena. It was hoped that early detection would allow the Mexican Navy to collect quite a bit of the seaweed before it reached shore, but there were many problems preventing this from happening.
Two weeks ago, the Navy sent 26 ships out of Chetumal for the sole purpose of combating the algae, but bad weather and rough seas are making the task much more difficult. Two of these ships are Sargacerros, large vessels designed to collect masses of seaweed far out to sea. In theory, these ships were supposed to collect huge volumes of algae from the sea going to the coast, but in practice it turned out that they were physically unable to protect the entire coast. While they are collecting seaweed in one place, the seaweed is passing to the shore in another. In addition, the ships are designed in such a way that the slightest disturbance in the ocean forces them to retreat to cover.
Statistics show that in 2020, the Navy caught only 4% of the seaweed collected along the coast. In 2021, this figure dropped to 3% — There was more algae, but the volumes collected by the Navy at sea remained unchanged. In 2022, the efficiency of the Navy's operations became even lower — only 1%. This means that 99% of all seaweed that reaches the Mexican Caribbean coast is hand-picked after it arrives on the beach. Workers use manual collection methods: rakes, baskets and trucks. The use of heavy equipment on the beaches is prohibited.
The ever-increasing number of workers needed to clean beaches is seriously eroding hotel profits. Most hotels are reporting a significant drop in profits, despite recent years being very strong in terms of occupancy. This has a very direct impact on room rates: hotels pass on rising beach cleanup costs to their guests and increase room rates. Already, prices for accommodation in many luxury hotels in Mexico are higher than in the United States. True, the rise in rates is mainly due to the fact that hotels strive to please guests in any way, and guests agree to pay for it.
In an attempt to stem the decline in tourism, the Mexican government invested about US$17 million to remove 522,226 tons of algae in 2018 and about $2.6 million to remove 85,000 tons in 2019. The hotel industry has spent even more: In 2019, hotels between Cancun and Puerto Morelos spent more than $284,000 on staff wages alone to clean their beaches. Some hotels have also purchased very expensive equipment, including special machines (costing $82,000), barriers to prevent seaweed from reaching the beach ($330 per meter, plus installation of $50 per meter) and anchors ($450 in rock and $900 in sand per unit), and boats to transport the collected seaweed (costing from $200,000 to $1 million). More than 30 kilometers of barriers were installed.
08/05/2022 El Taj — Playa del Carmen — Mexico#sargazo#sargassum#sargasses#PlayadelCarmen#mexico#mexique
More pictures and exact location on the official 2022 map Here —>t.co/c7aot8y1lXpic.twitter.com/Fv9l65G2fa— Sargassum Monitoring® (@SargaMonitoring)May 8, 2022
Another project to curb algae in the sea was recently unveiled. This is the so-called great ocean barrier. In the strait between the Caribbean coast and the island of Cozumel, through which the bulk of the algae enters, it is proposed to install a giant anti-algae barrier. The barrier will start at the southern tip of the island, will be about 60 kilometers long, and sections will be located at 60 degrees to the coast. It will have passages for navigation. The barrier will divert the seaweed coming through the Cozumel Canal, and then sea currents will carry the seaweed further towards the North Atlantic.
The height of the protective part of the barrier should be 1 — 1.5 meters, while the local barriers currently installed along the coast have only 20 cm at the top. The project cost is estimated at $1.6 million per kilometer of barrier. The project has not yet been approved for implementation, and funding sources have not been identified.
For those who know nothing about algae, this may seem like a local problem: it’s unpleasant to relax on polluted beaches, that’s all. In fact, this is one of the biggest challenges facing the Caribbean region. The seaweed forms massive island clusters throughout the Atlantic Ocean and drifts on ocean currents toward the Caribbean Sea. In the sea, algae do not cause problems and are even an important element of the ecosystem for many small sea creatures. But as you approach land, things become more complicated. When the algae reaches shallow waters, it turns the crystal blue waters of the Mexican Caribbean Sea to a murky brown, ruining the aesthetics that many come to the region for on vacation. On sand, algae accumulate in boulders up to a meter high, having the same negative impact on the sand as on the water.
The biggest problem — it's the smell. Once on land, the algae begin to decompose and at the same time emit a putrid hydrogen sulfide odor. Guest countries avoid places where accumulated algae rot and beaches become empty. Many visitors cancel or postpone their vacation if they learn about large accumulations of algae on the beaches, since they go to Mexico specifically for a beach holiday.
Hotels are now under pressure to provide updates on the algae situation on their beaches, and tourists are advised to review these reports and CCTV footage to avoid disappointment.
So far this year, more than 3,300 tons of seaweed have been collected from beaches from Cancun to Tulum. This is significantly more than last year, although the algae season has just begun. But assessing the amount and dynamics of algae development in the ocean, ecologists continue to believe that the volume of input will continue to grow, and in May the amount of algae on the beaches may increase by 60% compared to April.
Let us remind you that the problem of seasonal appearance of algae on the beaches of Cancun and the Riviera Maya has been acute since 2015. In 2018-2019, algae became a real natural disaster, threatening regional tourism. The Mexican Navy was then put in charge of collecting seaweed at sea. Algae barriers have been placed along many beaches along the Caribbean coast, and municipal beach cleanup staff have been significantly increased. However, the state algae management program has not yet been formed, and there is no industrial processing and disposal of them.