{"id":12644,"date":"2019-06-27T09:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T13:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/?p=12644"},"modified":"2019-06-26T06:30:23","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T10:30:23","slug":"sargassum-formation-heading-for-mexican-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/sargassum-formation-heading-for-mexican-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Sargassum Heading for Mexican Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

The state of Quintana Roo, a major tourist destination in Mexico, has seen a dramatic increase of sargazo<\/em> or sargassum washing up on its shores leaving the tourist industry busy cleaning up the beaches. To make matters worse, a big sargassum formation with a di\u00e1metro<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>or diameter of 550 kilometers (approximately 340 miles) is heading towards the coast.<\/p>\n

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Photo taken by Tam Warner Minton found on Flickr.com with license CC BY 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 es el sargazo?<\/h3>\n

Sargassum is a macroalgae that floats around the water and provides alimento<\/em>\u00a0(<\/em>nutrition),\u00a0sombra<\/em> (shade) and refugio<\/em> (shelter) for many species in the sea. It is especially useful in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean because of the lack of shores. The big mass of this algae provides permanent and temporary shelter to many animals.<\/p>\n

Sagassum is not necessarily bad and is a natural occurrence in many coasts including the Florida Keys as well as many Caribbean destinations including Quintana Roo.<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00faal es el problema?<\/h3>\n

The problem with the sargassum in Quintana Roo is not so much that it is present, but rather that it is arriving in massive amounts. A recent article from Expansion.mx<\/a> states that<\/p>\n

Si bien en cantidades adecuadas esta alga ayuda al correcto funcionamiento del ecosistema, su exceso lo perjudica al provocar ausencia de luz y falta de oxigenaci\u00f3n. Al menos 72 especies marinas son afectadas por la at\u00edpica presencia <\/em><\/p>\n

(With the right quantity, this algae helps in the correct functioning of the ecosystem. Its excess harms by causing absence of light and oxygen. At least 72 marine species are affected by this atypical presence.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In addition to the ecological damage, the\u00a0sargazo\u00a0<\/em>is also affecting tourism. The Caribbean Sea attracts thousands of tourists with is\u00a0arena blanca y aguas turquesas <\/em>(white sand and turquoise water). However, the washup of\u00a0sargazo<\/em> means the sands are nowhere near white and the water is not very welcoming to swim.<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00faal es la causa de tanto sargazo?<\/h3>\n

The cause or\u00a0causa\u00a0<\/em>of this excess is mixed. First and foremost, the increase in residuos org\u00e1nicos<\/em> (organic waste) in the oceans is feeding the sargazo<\/em> and helping it grow twice its size every 18 days. In addition, the warmer temperatures and the increase in wind and ocean currents is mobilising the sargazo<\/em> even more.<\/p>\n

The damage the sargazo<\/em> is causing is huge. The coral reefs of Mexico are threatened as well as many of the animals in the area, both in land and water. The problem isn’t only in Mexico, but rather in the entire Caribbean and parts of South America. The video below explains more in detail the damages and risks.<\/p>\n