UNAM: Science Key to Solving Sargassum Crisis

Cancún — The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has presented the documentary Sargassum, a production that reveals, from a scientific perspective, the magnitude of the challenge facing the Mexican Caribbean with the massive arrival of this seaweed.

During the presentation, specialists warned that despite multiple attempts to contain the problem, the majority of strategies implemented in recent years have not yielded results because they lack scientific backing. They underscored that only with greater investment in research will it be possible to advance toward more effective solutions.

The documentary was produced by UNAM's General Directorate for the Dissemination of Science, with collaboration from the Institutes of Atmospheric Sciences, Geography, and Marine Sciences and Limnology, centers that have led the primary research on the phenomenon since its massive appearance in 2011.

A Complex and Multidisciplinary Problem

Manuel Suárez Lastra, Director General for the Dissemination of Science at UNAM, explained that sargassum is a complex and multidisciplinary problem, as it involves biological, climatic, oceanographic, geological, and social aspects.

"Without understanding the phenomenon, we cannot confront it," he stated, pointing out the urgency of strengthening funding for science.

For over a decade, millions of pesos have been invested in measures that, far from resolving the problem, have shown little effectiveness. The experts agreed that if those resources had been allocated to research, the country would now be in a better position to mitigate the impacts of sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean.