Some Yucatan beaches are covered with sargassum just before Semana Santa

Telchac Puerto – In recent weeks, the beaches of the Yucatan coast have been filled with sargassum, which not only “scared away” a good part of the tourists and bathers, but also generates negative impacts on the ecosystem, according to researcher Ileana Ortegón Aznar of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY).

The “upwelling” of sargassum starts from the port of Progreso -the closest port to Merida on the Yucatan coast- to Dzilam de Bravo, and with less incidence in other ports such as San Crisanto, San Bruno and Santa Clara.

According to Ortegón Aznar, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of the UADY, the presence of sargassum will not only keep national and foreign tourists away from Yucatecan beaches, but will also cause damage to the ecosystems due to the presence of different marine algae.

He explained that the sargassum eutrophizes the waters and generates the growth of microalgae that can cause mortality of coral colonies and alteration in the seagrass ecosystems.

Some coastal municipalities have even suggested that if the arrival of sargassum on the beaches of the Yucatecan coast continues, it will be necessary to clean and collect it from the seashore.

In the port of Progreso, for example, the arrival of sargassum has prevented many bathers from going into the water, because they are afraid and in other cases because the algae -they say- cause a lot of itching and scratching.

The arrival of sargassum has prevented many bathers from daring to go into the water.

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