Sargassum chases visitors off the beaches and into the cenotes

Sargassum chases visitors off the beaches and into the cenotes

Historic levels of sargassum along the Mexican Caribbean coast during Holy Week have triggered an  “unusual abundance” of tourists at Yucatán’s famous cenotes. “There were more people here in the area, throughout the cenote park, and in all other places,” a Maya priest named Freddy Orlando Coto told the EFE news agency. Orlando Coto, a…

Scientists warn some types of sargassum could impact on human health

Scientists warn some types of sargassum could impact on human health

Photos of Quintana Roo’s coastline covered in sargassum for weeks have been circulating heavily over news sites and social media.  And scientists now warn that some types of sargassum could be detrimental to human health. “We have detected four species of algae which could potentially be detrimental to human health. The main risk comes from…

Sargassum and the Sahara dust phenomenon — are they connected?

Sargassum and the Sahara dust phenomenon — are they connected?

The sargassum on the coast and the Sahara dust in the sky might have a connection.  The stinky seaweed first sprouted in 2011 in the tropical Atlantic and has been plaguing beaches ever since. Sewage and farmland runoff have been blamed.  But there’s another possible culprit — Africa’s Sahara dust, which blows over the ocean and…

Is river pollution to blame for the explosion of sargassum growth?

Is river pollution to blame for the explosion of sargassum growth?

Reaserchers point to pollution from rivers in South America and the United States as the likely cause of rapid sargassum growth. The sargasso sea was first observed by Christopher Columbus in 1492. However, since that time, that relatively small patch of seaweed has been transformed into a floating island of biomass spanning over 5,600 miles….

Sargassum returns: Unsightly algae returns to the Riviera Maya

Sargassum returns: Unsightly algae returns to the Riviera Maya

Beachgoers in Quintana Roo have begun to notice the return of sargassum. The floating, brown seaweed has been spotted on several beaches including Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Tourism authorities in Quintana Roo said they expect only a moderate uptick in sargassum but have already begun to prepare cleanup crews.  “The amount of sargassum is…

Less sargassum is forecast for Mexico’s beaches in 2020

Less sargassum is forecast for Mexico’s beaches in 2020

The Yucatan Peninsula and other Caribbean coastal towns are bracing for what has become an annual crisis — sargassum tides consisting of a floating, brown macroalgae. This year, though, less of the stinky seaweed is expected. That’s a relief, since 2019 was a record-high year for the stinky seaweed. The University of South Florida Outlook…

Cold front, sargassum drive tourists away from the beach

Cold front, sargassum drive tourists away from the beach

The relative chill that has affected Yucatan since Wednesday has affected tourist-centered businesseses on the coast. The storm surge has also piled sargassum — the stinky algae that has plagued beaches — onto Progreso’s shores once again. Cold Front 23, as it is called by local weather authorities, coincided with the arrival of the cruise…

Sargassum tides hit Progreso just as cruise ship tourists approach

Progreso, Yucatan — City crews brought heavy machinery to address tons of sargassum that invaded the beach over the weekend. About 50 workers attempted to prevent the algae from spreading to the entire coastal strip, according to Diario de Yucatan. On Saturday, the Malecon beach woke up with little sargassum. But by Sunday or Monday, the sea…

12 Caribbean nations huddle in Mexico over sargassum woes

12 Caribbean nations huddle in Mexico over sargassum woes

Twelve Caribbean nations whose beaches have been invaded by tons of sargassum have agreed to seek international economic support to fight a problem affecting 19 nations. The meeting, held in Quintana Roo, gathered ministers of environment and tourism of 12 countries. It was coordinated by the state’s governor, Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez. One response is to…

Lopez Obrador plays down sargassum problem, calling it a ‘minor issue’

Lopez Obrador plays down sargassum problem, calling it a ‘minor issue’

Cancun, Q. Roo — Sargassum, long choking the Yucatan Peninsula’s Caribbean coast, is a “minor issue,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters Monday. The smelly, seaweed-like muck has bedeviled the tourism industry in recent years, as disappointed tourists are deprived of the beautiful beaches they were promised. Tourism is key to the Mexican economy….

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