In our April newsletter we reported on the unusual amounts of seaweed or pelagic Sargasso known as Common Gulfweed (Sargassum natans) and Broad-toothed Gulfweed (Sargassum fluitans) that are washing ashore on beaches throughout the Mexican Caribbean. This is still occurring and is not confined to the state of Quintana Roo. The Caribbean islands and the Gulf coast of the United States, including parts of Florida, are reporting similar experiences.
Beach cleaning is being carried out on a daily basis in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and other resort areas such as Akumal, Tulum and Mahahual. In the third week of July, the Federal Government authorized additional funds for Municipal governments to hire more people to clean the beaches and conservation groups, soldiers and people from all walks of life are also volunteering to help remove the seaweed that washes ashore.
As it is sea turtle nesting season seaweed is being removed manually on beaches where there are nests in situ. There are restrictions on heavy machinery that could damage nests and crush the eggs. Most of the hotels in Cancun participate in the turtle protection program and transport the eggs further up the beach to special enclosures or turtle nurseries, light mechanical diggers are permitted during the morning and not at night when turtles are emerging to lay their eggs. In Puerto Morelos, diggers are also operating on beaches that are not turtle nesting sites.
Municipal authorities are working with local biologists on a statewide cleaning and disposal plan for the seaweed. Once the salt has leached out of seaweed it can be composted and makes an excellent fertilizer. In Puerto Morelos, some of the seaweed removed from the beaches is being deposited in an old quarry and it will eventually be used in the parks and gardens. In other areas, the seaweed is being buried in the dunes and the soil formed will boost plant growth, binds the sand and helps protect the shoreline from erosion. When seaweed is left to decompose naturally on the sand, it actually contributes to the growth of the beach.
Government officials are also in contact with experts from universities in the United States who are monitoring floating patches of seaweed and the ocean currents that transport them through the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. As yet the origin of this year’s bloom is still unclear.
There are several theories about what is causing so much seaweed. Rising sea temperatures due to climate change and excessive nutrients in the water from fertilizers and waste-water may cause seaweed to proliferate. The fact that Caribbean waters have been warming in recent years, as they are in many parts of the Pacific too, is undisputed and traces of chemicals can affect the balance of the marine ecosystem in many ways. Some experts speculate that the seaweed comes from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean and that it drifts south because the winds are less strong; others believe that it comes from an area off the coast of South America. Other theories are that it may be one of the environmental impacts of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or is due to the use of pesticides in southern US, Colombia and Brazil that find their way into rivers and then into the sea.
It is important to note that the presence of seaweed does not mean that the beaches are dirty or polluted. Once you walk into the sea you’ll find that the waters of the Caribbean are just as beautiful as ever. Seaweed has always washed ashore on the Quintana Roo coast; it is just that this season it is doing so in much larger quantities.
The free floating beds of seaweed are harmless to man and are a habitat for many creatures such as shells, tiny crabs, baby turtles and fish; over 250 species of fish and invertebrates make their home among the plants. When it washes ashore, marine creatures that trapped die and begin to decay; this is what causes the distinctive odor, not the seaweed itself.
The seaweed does not sting and although a few swimmers have reported a rash; this is not due to the plant itself but to microscopic creatures and tiny jellyfish that occasionally irritate the skin.
At Royal Resorts beach cleaning brigades are out every morning. The fact that they work before the hottest part of the day for safety’s sake means that you may not see them.
We will give you further updates on the seaweed and plans to clean the beaches as more information becomes available.
Visit the Royal Resorts blog www.royalresortsnews.com for additional information on the seaweed and theories on the origin and cause of the proliferation.
