by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:30 AM ET, Wed February 18, 2026
Scientists are predicting another record year for Sargassum in the Caribbean, as officials in Mexico’s Caribbean destinations begin planning preventative measures to keep the red algae from swamping popular beaches.
According to the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, which uses a satellite-based system to monitor and track Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean, 2026 is on track to become a record Sargassum year.
The latest report, published on January 31, reported that Sargassum is currently growing in the Caribbean, from 0.45 million tons in December to 1.7 million tons in January. The report also noted that the Gulf region, north of the Yucatan, showed “measurable Sargassum.”
The Western Atlantic region, off the coast of South America, showed a “substantial” increase from 4.1 million to 5.5 million tons over the month.
“Except for the E[ast] Atlantic region, every other region saw record-high Sargassum amount for the month of January,” the report explained. It went on to explain that the Caribbean has three separate masses of Sargassum currently, with some destinations, including in the Mexican Caribbean, already experiencing beaching events, which happens when some of the Sargassum washes ashore.
Sargassum blooms in warm ocean temperatures. As Caribbean waters continue warming due a changing climate, Sargassum blooms are more likely to occur or worsen.
“Because of the continuous growth from November to January and because of the record-high Sargassum amount in most regions, 2026 is very likely another major Sargassum year,” the report stated, going on to explain that major Sargassum years are years in which the amount of Sargassum reaches at least 75 percent of historical values.
In January, destinations like Cancun and Isla Mujeres reported having to collect beached Sargassum earlier, with the island of Isla Mujeres alone reporting 220 tons from area beaches.
Yet it’s not officially Sargassum season: it typically begins in March and ends in October.
Riviera Maya News reported that some Mexican Caribbean destinations are already prepping for the surge in Sargassum after a record 2025.
Officials in Playa del Carmen started protecting a five-kilometer stretch of beachfront near Parque Fundadores and the Constituyentes pier, extending the sea barriers toward Playa Golondrinas. The plan is to install Sargassum barriers in the ocean across the public beach strip from Playa Cisne to Punta Esmeralda.
In Playa del Carmen alone, the city cleared over 30,000 tons of Sargassum in 2025, and has already cleared 1,288 tons from public beaches this year.
Approximately 150 workers collect and dispose of the sargassum, which is currently being optioned as a potential biofuel resource, while at sea, 70 members of the Navy collect the algae from the water barriers.
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