by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:35 AM ET, Mon May 4, 2026
Quintana Roo is responding to what will likely be another strong sargassum season as authorities collect 25,000 metric tons of the stuff, with Playa del Carmen issuing a “red alert” on April 30.
Sargassum is a red-brown algae that blooms in the warm waters of the Caribbean. As the waters continue to warm from early spring through October, large clumps of it can wash ashore, from Florida to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
According to Mexico News Daily, fifteen of the hardest-hit beaches in northern Quintana Roo have been designated as “red zones,” with millions of metric tons of sargassum floating offshore.
Officials expect a 25% to 30% increase in sargassum collection this year, compared to last season’s 96,000 metric tons. According to Monitoring Center Director Esteban Amaro, the season began three months early, in January 2026.
“Since it started in January, three months earlier than usual, it could also end early,” said Amaro.
Sargassum season typically lasts six months. May, June and July are expected to be the worst months for sargassum blooms.
The University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Laboratory operates a Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System that has predicted another strong year for sargassum. It predicted that by this summer, the sargassum season will likely break records.
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