Mexico plans to invest $115 million to combat record sargassum seaweed blooms affecting Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines.
Mexico has announced a plan to invest $115 million to address the growing environmental and economic threat posed by massive sargassum seaweed blooms. The seaweed, which covers miles of coastline in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, often releases a foul smell as it rots onshore and reduces oxygen in the water, smothering mangrove roots and coral. Brian Barnes, a marine scientist at the University of South Florida, noted that this year's bloom is unusual because the seaweed is reproducing locally rather than being swept in by currents. This phenomenon stems from a record 40 million metric tons reported last year. The blooms impact tourism and local economies, with sales in Mexico's Quintana Roo state falling by 30% in the first half of the year. In Puerto Rico, the governor declared a state of emergency due to the record concentration of seaweed. Meanwhile, researchers using artificial intelligence have found that macroalgae blooms in the tropical Atlantic and Western Pacific have increased by more than 13% per year since 2003.