Claudia Sheinbaum to Present Comprehensive Agreement to Address Record Sargassum Growth in Mexican Caribbean
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a comprehensive agreement to manage the record-breaking accumulation of sargassum, a type of brown floating algae, in the Mexican Caribbean. The announcement follows a meeting with tourism sector leaders in Quintana Roo, where the state faces its largest sargassum season on record. The administration announced that the strategy will include acquiring more vessels to intercept the seaweed at sea and expanding the processing and recycling of the macroalgae. This surge in sargassum is a basin-scale phenomenon affecting the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, which both reached record highs in June 2026. Scientists at the University of South Florida and NASA have reported that the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has more than doubled in size every five years since 2011. The accumulation of seaweed has caused significant financial burdens for the region, with Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama estimating that management costs approximately $2 billion annually. The plan aims to establish Mexico as an international benchmark for sargassum management while mitigating impacts on tourism and marine life.