Cozumel Clears 120 Tons of Sargassum in a Week

Cozumel, Mexico — More than 120 tons of sargassum have been collected from the coasts of Cozumel in a single week. The removal effort included 10 tons collected daily and a major weekend operation that resulted in the collection of 55 tons to clear Mirador Chumul beach on the island's eastern shore, facilitating sea turtle nesting.

Irwin Batun Alpuche, director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZOFEMAT) of Cozumel, reported that an average of 10 tons of the macroalgae are being collected each day during this sargassum season, particularly from the public beaches most frequented by tourists and local residents.

He stated that these efforts are carried out by two cleaning crews, comprised of 60 people, who collect the sargassum by hand. The use of machinery is impossible due to both the geography and the fact that it is a coastline where two species of sea turtle—Caretta caretta and Chelonia Midas—nest year after year.

This past weekend, a larger effort was undertaken to clean a beach known as Mirador Chumul, also on the eastern coast. The Third Massive Cleaning Day saw the participation of more than 500 people, including officials and workers from the Cozumel City Council, personnel from the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), the Army (SEDENA), and volunteers.

"In this event, we collected more than 55 tons, all recovered in the early hours of Saturday morning and deposited on land where the material will decompose and continue its natural process, now in a dry site. This is easier due to the absence of water and the minimal amount of sand, which allows it to dry more quickly," said Batun Alpuche.

The event was led by the municipal president, José Luis Chacón Méndez, who stated that the removal of sargassum, whose impact on tourism and sea turtle nesting can cause serious effects, must be a task solved jointly by authorities and volunteers. He thanked the participants for their work for the benefit of the island and the environment.