PLAYA DEL CARMEN (Reuters) – Mexico is scrambling to contain a record surge of foul-smelling sargassum along its Caribbean coast, as the brown seaweed swamps beaches in the heart of the country's tourism belt.
Officials in Quintana Roo, home to resort destinations including Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have cleared more than 105,000 metric tons of sargassum so far this year, according to data released this week, a figure that already exceeds last year's record 92,783 tons.
The haul also puts the state on track to blow past earlier projections for 2026 and deepen what officials have described as one of the worst sargassum seasons on record. Authorities had previously estimated that about 119,000 tons could wash ashore this year.
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Scientists say the outsized blooms are being fueled by a mix of nutrient-rich runoff — including fertilizer-linked nitrogen and phosphorus, particularly from agricultural powerhouses such as Brazil — and shifting ocean conditions. The seaweed's buildup on beaches can drive tourists away as it releases hydrogen sulfide gas as it rots that irritates nasal airways.
The season could last until early or mid-October, though forecasts remain uncertain, said Oscar Rebora, Quintana Roo's environment minister.
"It will depend on winds, currents and tides," Rebora said, adding that the latest tally was current as of Tuesday. Playa del Carmen has recorded the largest volume collected so far, he said.
For workers charged with clearing the beaches, the seaweed has become an almost constant presence. In Puerto Morelos, cleanup worker Vitinia Villamontes said sargassum had been arriving without letup.
"This year it didn't stop. From July to July, sargassum kept arriving," she said. "It's basically impossible to keep it under control this year."
Sargassum has increasingly inundated parts of the Caribbean over the past decade, fouling once-clear beaches and threatening the tourism industry that underpins much of Quintana Roo's economy.
Some companies say creating a market for the algae could help offset the high cost of collection.
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"We believe one of the strategies to mitigate the sargassum problem is creating value from it," said Sebastian Aguilar de Alba, technology and innovation director at Carbonwave, which processes sargassum into liquid biostimulants and fertilizers.
Mexico's environment ministry has previously identified dozens of projects that could turn sargassum into products including fertilizers, biofuels and bioplastics. Backing for commercializing sargassum remains limited, however, with most public funds still aimed at cleanup.
(Reporting by Paola Chiomante, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon and Andrea Ricci)