Next Year’s Sargassum Warning for Quintana Roo

Despite the presence of sargassum in Quintana Roo in 2024, the tourism sector experienced a respite due to decreased seaweed volume near the coasts. However, there are warnings of significant sargassum banks in the Atlantic that could heavily impact the area next year, according to observers and analysts.

The National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) is among the official agencies that have issued this warning. Conanp closely monitors this phenomenon and has suggested the possibility of sargassum arriving as early as January next year. Factors such as changes in currents, water temperature, and weather phenomena like El Niño or La Niña determine this condition.

Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek, head of the Academic Unit of Reef Systems in Puerto Morelos and a seagrass specialist, explained that a massive influx of sargassum could occur again next year if temperature conditions change. The sargassum remains present in large quantities in the Atlantic Ocean, and if it moves to the Caribbean sea, it has a high probability of landing on the coast, affecting the entire ecosystem. This year, high temperatures, a slight change in currents, and similar hydrometeorological systems resulted in less sargassum presence. However, these conditions can change, and with El Niño and La Niña phenomena, mass arrivals are expected next year due to the large quantity of sargassum in the Atlantic.

"There are much larger quantities even than in 2015 or 2018. A lot of sargassum is accumulating," she said, referring to the large Atlantic belt of sargassum from Africa and Brazil, which spans the Atlantic Ocean. In this large belt, conditions are favorable for seaweed growth, creating uncertainty according to satellite observations and algorithms developed in universities such as Florida and other academic institutions.

The presence of sargassum was low this year. However, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment of the State (SEMA), during the sargassum season, nearly 40 thousand tons were collected throughout the Mexican Caribbean, accompanied by two thousand tons by the Navy. This collection was achieved with 11 sargassum harvesters, 11 smaller ships, about 9,000 meters of barriers, along with the Navy's strength and the direct participation of all the municipalities in the state, managing to surpass 27,000 tons of sargassum.

The season concluded with the placement of 9,000 meters of sea barriers. Although it is reported that only 50% of this material is usable and could be used next year, these barriers are often lost and need to be constantly replaced due to the effects of the massive seaweed arrival. Next year, the Advisory Council, composed of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Sermarnat), and the State Government, will have to meet again to define the action plan and the resources that will be allocated from the Federation to the state.