They confirm things are getting better and hopefully everything will be back to normal soon. endobj Map of Beaches | Sargasso Tracker Welcome to Sargasso Tracker. April 9, 2019: The beaches of Holbox are not normally affected by sargassum since they are located very north of the Yucatan Peninsula. Copyright 2022 thetravelmoove.com. Read more: Mexico to Spend $9.1 Million on Seaweed Cleanup. All rights reserved. . Sargassum reproduces continuously throughout the year in the sargasso sea but with the help of ocean currents, it reaches the beaches of Florida and the other Caribbean countries. Sargassum inundations not only affect the shore but also the sea as sargassum can decompose in the water leading to fouling of the water quality which can influence coral health. Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies. . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Puerto Rico Seaweed Problem 2022: Everything You Need to Know! Sargassum has also restricted access to recreational beaches for prolonged periods, as well as beach, water and air quality when seaweed rots. Sargassum can be harmful to both marine life and humans. "All we can do now is keep a close eye on what's going on.". From August 28: Sargassum season 2019 is over according to the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, reports Mexico News Daily. Sargassum in moderate amounts is a good thing. 2015. Depending on the volume of sargassum, this may be done manually or using machinery. We are working to prevent them from reaching the beaches and if they do, to collect them.. %PDF-1.7 The MMABE obtained a sargassum seaweed harvester in 2020 to help manage sargassum influxes out to sea; however, the harvester was only used once on 9 July 2020 as a test in Consett Bay St. John in collaboration with the Barbados Coast Guard, the BADMC, the Ministry of Transport, Barbados Water Authority, and the Fisheries Division. There is no law against removing sargassum in Florida, so many owners of hotels and beachfront properties have been able to remove the seaweed by hand without a permit. Here is a detailed update from managementabout how they currently view the issue: We are constantly in touch with our closest hotel partners to monitor the situation and have real-time updates about any issues, sargassum and otherwise. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Although small quantities can begin arriving from March, we now know that the large influxes usually start in May and end in November. Andaz Mayakoba: When sargassum presents, the resort sends a boat out to fish the seaweed out of deep waters and a team of 20 people manually cleans the beaches daily. There is just a little remaining from a few days earlier when there were some strong winds (usually winds from the north are the ones causing the seaweed issues). In 2018, Quintana Roo businessman Omar Vzquez Snchez made good use of the local sargassum build-up when he. All rights reserved. Twitter The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. As reported in our post Mexico and Mother Nature What you Need to Know 2015, the sargassumoccurrence which has many ecological benefits is not dangerous nor continuous and often unpredictable. Hu predicts that 2023 will be another major sargassum year, with the potential to surpass even 2022. Nevertheless, the seaweed problem is worsening in Cancun every year and if you are planning to spend quality time on the beach, then you want to avoid those 6 months of seaweed season. There have been reports of respiratory health issues arising from exposure to hydrogen sulphide from rotting Sargassum, especially amongst fishers. From October 1, 2015: Journey Mexicos Cancun office reports that the situation in Cancun has been improving a lot. Not all beaches have implemented this system as there is concern about disturbing nesting turtles and other sea life. <> Once caught in the mesh, the Sargasso seaweed is then picked up by boats and returned in the sea current that is directed toward the Yucatan Channel. This is very rare in history, USF oceanography professor Chuanmin Hu told USA Today. Playa del Carmens beaches are facing an influx of seaweed, however, the cleanliness of the beaches varies depending on location and the presence of organized cleaning services. The video and photo below are from Coco Beach in Playa del Carmen (January 28 morning). What measures are being taken by the Florida government or local authorities to tackle the seaweed problem? It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum seaweed and often calm blue water.. Sargassum Monitoring, the official maps of sargassum. Since sargassum originated off the coast of South America and traveled up north through currents, the usual pattern is that only the east side of the coast is most affected. They will use a crane system to lift the sargassum from the water and deposit it into another boat, according to Mexico News Daily. Local authorities are asking for residents and tourists to be patient in the next few months. Banyan Tree Mayakoba: When the seaweed appears, the resorts staff clean the beach daily. As predicted, small amount was observed in the CS and