Sargassum Collection in Quintana Roo Tops 133,000 Tons, Setting New Record

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo has collected 133,646 tons of sargassum so far in 2026, a new record for the state and more than 35,000 tons above the previous high, according to the latest report from the state Environment and Ecology Department (SEMA).

As of September 18, the Quintana Roo government, working with the Mexican Navy, had removed 133,646.19 tons of the seaweed from state beaches.

Where the Sargassum Was Collected

Of the total, 75,148.95 tons were gathered by SEMA and municipal crews, while the Mexican Navy collected 57,497.24 tons.

Playa del Carmen accounts for the largest share of the season’s cleanup, with 44,547.64 tons — 33.3 percent of all sargassum removed statewide.

It is followed by:

• Cancún: 32,179.09 tons
• Puerto Morelos: 18,346.52 tons
• Tulum: 17,990.27 tons
• Othón P. Blanco: 15,014.02 tons

The smallest volumes were recorded in Isla Mujeres, with 4,099.30 tons; Cozumel, with 1,465.60 tons; and Lázaro Cárdenas, where crews removed just 40.75 tons.

Well Above the 2025 Record

The 2026 total marks a new maximum for Quintana Roo. The earlier record came in 2025, when authorities reported collecting roughly 98,000 tons of sargassum.

With the September 18 cutoff, this year’s figure exceeds that mark by more than 35,000 tons, reflecting the scale of the seaweed influx the Mexican Caribbean has faced this season.

Cleanup efforts continue in the state’s coastal municipalities through coordinated work by state and local authorities and the Mexican Navy, while officials keep monitoring sargassum landfalls along Quintana Roo’s beaches.