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[ReefHound]

I would submit it clearly is. It hurts tourism and tourism feeds the Rivera Maya. So walking on a sandy white beach DOES count if those people also use your cab, eat in your restaurant or stay in your hotel.

Really? As sargassum has increased in recent years, tourism has decreased? I could have sworn the area was seeing increased tourism and breaking records.

Btw, I said "for the planet" not "for the economy".

 

[cvchief]

Really? As sargassum has increased in recent years, tourism has decreased? I could have sworn the area was seeing increased tourism and breaking records.

Btw, I said "for the planet" not "for the economy".

Well they whole pandemic makes that increase a point of contention doesn't it? Like 'creating jobs.' Further, imagine how much MORE tourism there would be in Rivera Maya with the 'world's' rush to tourism if the beaches were perfect.

And for clarity you are saying like the pandemic tearing up the economy of the world was not 'bad for it.' What is the narrow definition you have of 'bad for the world'?

And in fairness, sargassum would probably only be 'bad' for the part of the world that gets sargasso, not the whole world. So I will concede that to you.

The other 'bad' in my mind part of it is the contamination of the sargasso.

Element concentrations in pelagic Sargassum along the Mexican Caribbean coast in 2018-2019

The massive influx of pelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso) into the Mexican Caribbean Sea has caused major deterioration of the coastal environment and has affected the tourism industry as well as livelihoods since 2015. Species of Sargassum have high capacity ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

and then when you are trying to dispose of what might really be a hazardous material, you are creating more problems.

Everyone is cheering solution, but I have been trying to cut down on the arsenic and cadmium in my zucchini

Sargassum Fertilizer Transfers Heavy Metals to Vegetables - DCNA

And don't get me started on the home building. That's as bad as Chinese drywall:

'Mr. Sargassum' has built 13 homes with blocks made of seaweed

All the homes the Puerto Morelos resident has constructed — the first one was named after his mother — have been donated to needy families.

mexiconewsdaily.com

Worse still, on a bad wind day, the sargasso stench takes away from the flavor of my Mezcalito Margarita. (which should be treated on par with a war crime. )

 

[ReefHound]

Well they whole pandemic makes that increase a point of contention doesn't it? Like 'creating jobs.' Further, imagine how much MORE tourism there would be in Rivera Maya with the 'world's' rush to tourism if the beaches were perfect.

And for clarity you are saying like the pandemic tearing up the economy of the world was not 'bad for it.' What is the narrow definition you have of 'bad for the world'?

Tourism is 2021 exceeded the previous record levels set in 2018 so it is not about a rebound from a pandemic low.

There's no end to speculation about imaginations of what might otherwise be. Imagine if all the sargassum was bringing nutrients to the reefs, mitigating the effects of toxic runoff and bleaching, and the reefs would be in even worse condition without it?

For clarity, I was talking about the environmental effect on the world ecosystem.

 

[ggunn]

Btw, I said "for the planet" not "for the economy".

And as I said, the planet is indifferent. As for the life forms that live on the planet, change is good for some and bad for others. Adapt or die.

 

[nanches]

Tourism is 2021 exceeded the previous record levels set in 2018 so it is not about a rebound from a pandemic low.

There's no end to speculation about imaginations of what might otherwise be. Imagine if all the sargassum was bringing nutrients to the reefs, mitigating the effects of toxic runoff and bleaching, and the reefs would be in even worse condition without it?

For clarity, I was talking about the environmental effect on the world ecosystem.

From what I’ve read, the over abundance of decaying sargassum along the coast depletes that area’s water of oxygen and causes problems (ie killing some) for the ocean life in that area. It also potentially causes problems for sea turtles and hatchlings along the coast.
While the Sargassum Sea has existed for a very long time, it seems that the Sargassum blooms have exploded over the past 5-10 years or so, likely due to human activities (fertilizer run-off, coastal developments, etc.)
Speaking to a hotel manager in Tulum a few years back, he said they always got some Sargassum along the coast during part of the year but he had never seen such large quantities before. It seems like a yearly occurrence now. While we get seaweed (including some Sargassum) along the coast up here In Massachusetts, it never stops me from going in the water. But I was thoroughly grossed out by the amount of seaweed along the Riviera Maya when I visited a few years back- and was so disappointed because it was so different from what I remembered back in the late 90’s early 00’s. On the other hand, I discovered Cozumel that summer, since it was one of the only areas without Sargassum. I had always given Cozumel a WIDE berth due to the high cost and high # of gringos (no offense, but when I go to Mexico, I’m not looking to spend time with compatriots or pay US prices) but that trip is what lead me to eventually getting my OW and discovering the magic of diving in Cozumel… so thanks, Sargassum?

 

[ggunn]

...I was thoroughly grossed out by the amount of seaweed along the Riviera Maya when I visited a few years back- and was so disappointed because it was so different from what I remembered back in the late 90’s early 00’s. On the other hand, I discovered Cozumel that summer, since it was one of the only areas without Sargassum.

The NW coast of Cozumel is usually sargassum free or nearly so; that has resulted in lots of day trippers coming over on the ferry from Playa del Carmen. The SE coast of Cozumel is another story, though; it has the same problem with seaweed as does the Riviera Maya.

 

[ChuckP]

Slight wind shift and anywhere becomes a mess - I can't imagine being a beachfront property in Playa.

I've seen them try so many different things at the public beach in Playa - manual labor, tractors, beach cleaner sweepers, oil retention bouy thing...... They seem stuck on tractor and manual labor and for what it is, they don't do so bad

 

[cvchief]

Tourism is 2021 exceeded the previous record levels set in 2018 so it is not about a rebound from a pandemic low.

Do you have any hard data on that? Apparently, BBVA might agree that sargasso isnt creating much of an economic impact.

But Ill agree, it probably doesn't effect the world ecosystem. Just some areas' ecosystem.

 

[exodusmaximus]

Damn! Make me wonder if the cartels reach has made it to the island. If they are corrupt, who knows?

I love cozumel (I dive with cozumel dive school all the time - got my rescue diver there) and never had any issues. Just don't dress flashy, and don't act like a tourist... I love cozumel (attached is from my 40m dive on Santa Rossa wall)

 

[ReefHound]

Do you have any hard data on that? Apparently, BBVA might agree that sargasso isnt creating much of an economic impact.

It's hard to get official numbers, at least searching in English from the USA. If I search when I'm in Mexico I'll get mostly .mx domain results but almost never from the US and that's where official numbers will be.

In looking a bit deeper, I misinterpreted a bit. The 2018 records remain unbroken but all data shows a strong recovery in 2022 from 2020 and 2021 numbers, in some areas exceeding pre-pandemic 2019. Anyways, the larger point remains that there is no evidence to suggest that the sargassum is driving away tourists.

The Minister assured that during the first 11 months of 2022, 11.7 million people flew in from the U.S., 30.2 percent more than in 2021 when just 8.9 million American tourists arrived. The figure also surpasses pre-pandemic 2019 totals (9.4 million).

More Than 18 Million International Tourists Visited Mexico by Air in 2022

The popular tourist destination experienced a 51.7 percent jump in air arrivals over the first 11 months of the year.

www.travelpulse.com

The tourism industry in Mexico is seeing a solid recovery. Over the year 2022, the Ministry of Tourism reports it expects to welcome 6,776,000 cruise ship passengers, a massive increase of 385% over 2021 and down only 25.5% over the record-breaking 2019.

Cozumel Receives Over 600,000 Cruise Visitors in First Three Months of 2022

During the first three months of 2022, there were more than 600,000 cruise ship visitors to Cozumel, Mexico.

www.cruisehive.com