“Although a large amount of sargassum was not observed in the first month of the year, as reported by the Federal Terrestrial Maritime Zone (Zofemat), it is expected that by February, there will be a significant increase in the accumulation of this macroalgae. The staff contracted to clean the beaches are preparing for this.
A high arrival of sargassum is anticipated this month, but we are prepared for that,” said Adrián Medina Pérez, director of the Federal Land Maritime Zone (Zofemat), as reported by Sipse.
Currently, there is no precise forecast for the arrival of sargassum to Playa del Carmen, according to Medina. In January, Solidaridad hired more than 100 people to remove the sargassum from the beaches. However, as the accumulation increases, more staff will be hired.
“The plan is to hire more staff as soon as the season starts and things begin to stabilize, and as more people arrive seeking work, they will be welcomed,” Medina stated.
He also noted that, for now, the sargassum is not as aggressive on the beaches. “We are already dealing with sargassum mixed with red algae. Up to now, we have collected 328 tons since the beginning of the year, from January 1st to the present,” explained Medina, who is responsible for the beaches in Solidaridad.
As REPORTUR.mx reported, experts predict that sargassum will return to tourist destinations in February. According to Mexico News Daily, oceanographers from the University of South Florida have identified a large mass of this algae in the Atlantic Ocean that could bring record levels to Mexico and Central America this year.”