by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:57 AM ET, Mon January 30, 2023
Data shows that less Sargassum is expected to reach the shorelines of the Mexican Caribbean during the 2023 season.
According to a report from the National Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Inapesca) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine Sciences (Cicimar), officials analyzed the behavior of the volumes and biomass of the two most prevalent species of Sargassum.
Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Center (CRIAP) specialist Jaime Gonzalez Cano told The Riviera Maya News that less of the stinky seaweed is forecast to arrive in 2023, with levels likely comparable to 2019.
With data focused on both Quintana Roo coastlines and the entire Mexican Caribbean as a whole, Cano said that "atmospheric conditions and the behavior of ocean currents are important factors in the influx and displacement of macroalgae."
Despite expectations of lower Sargassum making landfall, government officials are asking local communities to take preventive measures before the seaweed arrives.
In addition to finding new ways to use the Sargassum once it does arrive, officials continue to work with companies that use the seaweed to build bricks for homes that can be given to families in need and produce organic fertilizer.
Last week, the Cancun government announced it would invest heavily in keeping the popular Mexican travel destination's award-winning beaches clean for travelers in 2023. The city will employ around 180 full-time workers tasked with maintaining the beauty of the beaches in the high season.
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