Floating barrier proposed to combat sargassum in Puerto Aventuras

Playa del Carmen, MX. To counteract the effects of sargassum in Puerto Aventuras, the Homeowners Association of this residential and tourist complex intends to invest over 6 million pesos to install a floating barrier in Bahía de Fátima, nearly 900 meters long; and two others to try to prevent the macroalgae from entering the Caleta del Club de Yates and Caleta Kantenah.

The proposal was presented by the administration of this Homeowners Association for residents to analyze and approve, if applicable, during the Assembly to be held in March, although due to the contingency represented by the recent weeks’ influx, they propose voting in February.

According to a survey, more than 80% of participants believe that in 2025, sargassum affected the demand for vacation rentals, for example, as they experienced cancellations. And, compared to 2024, 100% of respondents considered occupancy to be lower; 70% said it strongly impacted their economy, and the remaining 30% said the impact was moderate.

It is worth mentioning that the Homeowners Association created a Sargassum Committee, and in September launched an open call to companies interested in solving this natural phenomenon.

In November, they met with the two finalists to hear their proposals in detail, and in December presented them to members for analysis.

The project cost totals 6.6 million pesos, plus 193 thousand pesos for the monthly operation of the barrier.

The proposal is that beachfront homeowners cover 30% of this amount and the remaining 70% be covered by others.

According to Homeowners Association data, the operational cost for 2025 was between 1.5 and 2 million pesos.

If approved, the winning project would have an annual cost of approximately 940 thousand pesos, given that the floating barrier has a useful life of 7 years.

The Assembly was scheduled for March, but due to the contingency, the Homeowners Association called for an Extraordinary Assembly to be held on February 15, with the goal of avoiding another crisis like last year’s.