Quintana Roo, Mexico — Governor Mara Lezama and federal Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena have agreed on a new strategy to combat the massive arrival of sargassum on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean, including the deployment of a larger Navy vessel and a significant expansion of containment barriers.
The plan aims to boost operational capacity ahead of the peak sargassum season. State Ecology Secretary Óscar Rébora also participated in the meeting.
New Navy Vessel and Barrier Expansion
In July, the Mexican Navy will add a new ocean-going vessel capable of collecting up to 600 metric tons of sargassum per day — double the capacity of the current Natans ship. The vessel will strengthen the specialized fleet operating in the region.
Containment barriers will be expanded from the current 9,500 meters (about 6 miles) to 16,000 meters (nearly 10 miles) this year, reducing the amount of algae reaching tourist beaches.
Circular Economy and Tourism Focus
Officials also announced a Circular Economy Development Hub in Puerto Morelos to transform collected sargassum into useful products. The overarching goal is to keep beaches clean for tourism while finding sustainable uses for the seaweed.
Key agreements include the new sargassum-collecting vessel in July, a target of 16,000 meters of barriers, industrial use of the algae, and maintaining clean beaches for visitors.
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