Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Approximately 59 percent of the 9,500 meters of at-sea sargassum barriers have been installed. The Secretaría de Marina, who are in charge of the installation, reported on their progress.
According to the Navy, the barriers are being installed now in anticipation of the early arrival of sargassum. This year for 2026, the federal government says they will expand coverage to include 9,500 meters of coast.
“In anticipation of the early arrival of sargassum, we have doubled our efforts in Quintana Roo. We are continuously installing strategic barriers to protect our coasts, with 59% completion,” the Secretaría de Marina reported.
While they lay the barriers, which includes divers to attach support anchors to the sea bed, the Navy has also deployed a vessel.
Sargassum collection vessel Natans has been deployed off the coast of Puerto Morelos “to intercept the seaweed in the open sea,” they reported Thursday.
The vessel was deployed when satellite imagery picked up a mass of sargassum floating in the Western Atlantic.
“We deployed the ocean-going vessel Natans in Puerto Morelos to intercept the seaweed in the open sea. We have reinforced beach cleanup efforts with our specialized brigades.
According to the Secretaría de Marina, as of February 19, 2026 “59 percent of the barriers have already been installed out of the 9500 meters included in the total scheme.
“We are a Navy tailored to Mexico’s needs.”
According to February 20 satellite images, over 300,000 tons of sargassum has been detected floating in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea with the highest concentration, over 276,000 tons, in the Western Central Atlantic.
Of that, only a small percentage is heading toward the coast of Quintana Roo with an even smaller percentage considered “possible” to make landfall in the next day or so.
