Playa del Carmen Removes Over 13,000 Tons of Sargassum From Beaches

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Authorities in Playa del Carmen have removed more than 13,000 tons of sargassum from local beaches so far this year, deploying up to 250 workers daily to combat the influx of the brown algae.

Candy Mendoza, the city’s environment secretary, said the recent seaweed landings have been intense, but stressed that significant efforts are underway. Between 80 and 120 navy personnel are involved in the collection, along with 150 workers from Zofemat, the federal maritime-terrestrial zone agency, and additional crews from public services.

Mendoza acknowledged the situation may discourage local families, but noted that Mayor Estefanía Mercado is preparing to announce new equipment to address the problem. The city has also established a dedicated disposal site for sargassum, ending its use of the landfill for this purpose.