Sargassum Seaweed is a problem for most of the Caribbean

Sargassum Seaweed is a problem for most of the Caribbean

Tom And Terry
Tom And Terry0 min read

The problem began in 2011 and the cause is still a mystery. Scientists are studying the issue and have several theories (see below articles). For now, Playa del Carmen is testing several versions of barriers to stop the sargassum from reaching the shores. Quintana Roo has invested millions of dollars to protect their shoreline.



When waves of sargassum - a type of seaweed - washed up on Eastern Caribbean shores seven years ago, people hoped it was a one-off. Matted piles swamped coastlines from Tobago to Anguilla. "In 2011 it was the first time we'd seen it," says Professor Hazel Oxenford, an expert in fisheries biology and management at the University of the West Indies.


In retrospect, 2011 was just the first wave. That year, massive rafts of Sargassum -a brown seaweed that lives in the open ocean-washed up on beaches across the Caribbean, trapping sea turtles and filling the air with the stench of rotting eggs.

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Quintana Roo is about to invest around MXN $200 million, from its own funds. The works place the first barrier in Cancún begin today, which will look to deflect the seaweed in the sea and to redirect it with the help of wind and the natural sea currents.



Playa del Carmen, Q.R. - A Danish company has begun a pilot program with the installation of a sea turtle sargasso barrier that they are hoping will control sargasso along Quintana Roo beaches. Danish company Desmi announced that they have successfully completed a week of...



Condo in Playa del Carmen. CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND INFO AT http://caribbeanbeachfrontcondo.com/ This oversized corner unit has extraordinary views of the Caribbean ocean. We are loca...
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