Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A plan to reinstall the sargassum barriers along the coast of Quintana Roo has been put on hold due to the threat of another storm.
Rear Admiral Alejandro López Zenteno, head of the Strategy for the Sargasso Containment says that although they began planning the replacement of the sea barriers, that plan has been put on hold due to the current forecast of another possible storm.
He says prior to the arrival of Hurricane Grace, the seaweed barriers that were installed in the municipalities of Puerto Morelos, Solidaridad and Mahahual were removed to protect them.
“We executed the protection plan for the material deployed to contain sargassum, a total of 3,715 meters of barrier that were installed in Puerto Morelos, Solidaridad and Mahahual were withdrawn in coordination with the representatives of the municipalities,” he explained.
In the coming days, however, the installation of barriers has been reevaluated because of a tropical depression with a 90 percent probability of evolution to a tropical cyclone hitting the region. The updated forecast on this system will have an effect on the sea barrier replacement plan.
He says for now, an Oceanographic Research Vessel and a logistics support vessel continue to be deployed to cover Playa del Carmen and the Cancun Hotel Zone, adding that a majority of the beaches are clean and free of sargassum.
