Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A warning for the arrival of “excess sargassum” has been issued for Quintana Roo. The Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network said Sunday that this coming week, the coast is likely to see an excessive arrival of seaweed.
In a statement on social media, the organization says arriving seaweed will increase from moderate to very intense and will affect mainland beaches from Punta Cancún to Xcalak, south of Mahahual.
The east side of Cozumel is also forecast to be part of that excessive arrival, while Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres are not. Holbox beaches will also be spared from the seaweed.
“It is the first time in four years that the Sargassum Monitoring Network, which carries out day-by-day monitoring, is registering excessive sargassum!” they posted.
Local businesses are being advised to act fast since “the actions taken to date have not been enough!” they said.
Municipalities have continued to clear beaches of the seaweed that has landed on shores. Both paid staff and volunteers make up the ongoing beach cleaning brigades around the state who, so far, have been able to keep up.
“The sargassum arrival is something that we will not be able to avoid,” Playa del Carmen Mayor Lili Campos said in light of the new excessive arrival warning.
“I thank the citizens and civil associations, the socially responsible companies as well as the government team that have been participating in the ongoing sargassum cleanup,” she said.
Over the weekend, two Riviera Maya businesses were forced to increase their brigade numbers after an overnight landfall of seaweed.
At least two seaside parks were left with the task of removing tons of sargassum from inlets and beach areas.
The Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network did not provide a figure for the amount of estimated tons expected.
